Ministry of Justice

Prisoner Escapes

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have absconded from prisons since 1 January 2023, broken down by the offence for which they were imprisoned.

Damian Hinds: The data requested is published via the following link on a financial year basis, the latest year was 2022-23: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpps-annual-digest-april-2022-to-march-2023. The data for the remainder of 2023 will be published in July 2024.Public protection is our top priority. When a prisoner absconds, police are immediately notified and are responsible for locating the offender. The majority of absconders are quickly recaptured and returned to custody.The number of absconds in 2022-23 was 34% lower than the previous year and 77% lower than in 2009-2010.Those who abscond face serious consequences, including being returned to closed prison conditions where they may serve up to two additional years on conviction. Prisoners subject to parole decisions will likely face longer before they are released.

Prison Sentences

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference his Oral Statement of 16 October 2023 on Prison Capacity, Official Report, column 68, if he will take steps to ensure that all sentences of imprisonment for public protection are reviewed in the next 12 months.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference his Oral Statement of 16 October 2023 on Prison Capacity, Official Report, column 68, whether he (a) has had and (b) plans to have discussions with the Parole Board on the process for reviewing sentences of imprisonment for public protection; how such cases will be prioritised for review; and what consideration will be given to length of sentence served.

Damian Hinds: The Government’s view is that retrospectively changing the sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) which was lawfully passed would give rise to unacceptable risks to the public protection. It would inevitably result in the release of many offenders who have committed serious sexual or violent offences, where the Parole Board has not assessed them as safe to be released.However, it remains a priority for the His Majesty’s Government that all those serving the IPP sentence receive the support which they need to progress towards safe release from custody or, where they are being supervised on licence in the community, towards having their licence terminated altogether. In that respect, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Justice, advised in his statement to this House on 16 October that he would be looking at options to curtail the licence period to restore greater proportionality to IPP sentences in line with recommendation 8 of the report by the Justice Select Committee’ (JSC) report, published on 28 September 2022. He will come back to the House on that in due course.In the meantime, the Government continues to focus on the rehabilitation of IPP prisoners through a refreshed and updated Action Plan, published on 26 April 2023 as a response to the JSC’s report. The Plan provides a renewed focus on supporting those serving IPP sentences in both custody and the community, by ensuring that each prisoner has a robust and effective sentence plan, tailored to their individual needs, by to supporting those in the community on licence to comply with their conditions.The independent Parole Board is responsible for considering whether prisoners serving indeterminate sentences are suitable for release following a referral of the prisoner’s case by the Secretary of State.The priority given when listing cases for a review is a matter for the Parole Board which is independent of Government. The Lord Chancellor does, however, maintain regular engagement with the Parole Board to ensure that the parole process continues to be effectively managed and that HMPPS is accurately sharing information with the Parole Board in a timely manner.

Prison Accommodation

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the baseline (a) certified normal accommodation and (b) in use operational capacity of each prison was in September 2023.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the population was of each male prison in England and Wales on 1 October 2023.

Damian Hinds: Certified Normal Accommodation (CNA), or uncrowded capacity, is the Prison Service’s own measure of accommodation. CNA represents the good, decent standard of accommodation that the Service aspires to provide all prisoners. The operational capacity of a prison is the total number of prisoners that an establishment can hold taking into account control, security and the proper operation of the planned regime. It is determined by the Prison Group Directors on the basis of operational judgement and experience.The population, operational capacity and certified normal accommodation (CNA) level of every prison is published monthly at Prison population figures: 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).The most recent version, containing information from 29 September 2023, has been replicated below.Prison NameBaseline CNAIn Use CNAOperational CapacityPopulationAltcourse78078011841153Ashfield416416412407Askham Grange128128128102Aylesbury402402402394Bedford268229400372Belmarsh792792774716Berwyn2000200020001998Birmingham1099789997982Brinsford539539569542Bristol424408580575Brixton530524798769Bronzefield527527542495Buckley Hall409409469455Bullingdon867711921912Bure604604643643Cardiff534534779768Channings Wood688688746737Chelmsford532518723713Coldingley493483513511Cookham Wood18514912091Dartmoor642640689681Deerbolt529337332326Doncaster73873811251118Dovegate1060106011601145Downview356356356326Drake Hall340340340325Durham600573985980East Sutton Park137989896Eastwood Park391326387363Elmley (Sheppey)1007100711571149Erlestoke494414470464Exeter317205321314Featherstone671671687671Feltham732633585559Five Wells1680168015601556Ford389349389387Forest Bank1061106114701459Fosse Way980980930843Foston Hall286223284268Frankland879875836823Full Sutton660631594585Garth810810845820Gartree703621605587Grendon / Springhill623553519493Guys Marsh476436507502Hatfield334334334332Haverigg550499499483Hewell79579510941075High Down100399911801131Highpoint (North and South)1303128013101288Hindley580526600585Hollesley Bay496494655591Holme House103698511791162Hull723663962955Humber96586110191002Huntercombe369369480457Isis478478628621Isle of Wight1064101211011094Kirkham699700699684Kirklevington Grange307187207194Lancaster Farms495495560538Leeds65564111101109Leicester221212344310Lewes617614624608Leyhill555447460459Lincoln408403658655Lindholme924924904877Littlehey1116111412351229Liverpool1224890870860Long Lartin613532607580Low Newton361298298272Lowdham Grange894892908895Maidstone565560613607Manchester695688744723Moorland97797710821065Morton Hall353353353338New Hall341341381364North Sea Camp303300300298Northumberland1368132813481343Norwich631631792785Nottingham724719950904Oakwood1628160021342114Onley714714742722Parc1559155918151778Pentonville92890512051189Peterborough (Male & Female)1105109913281292Portland463458538533Preston426426680668Ranby89489211121031Risley1061106110421013Rochester808697706702Rye Hill600600664664Send202189189186Stafford753753753743Standford Hill (Sheppey)464464464463Stocken97496410711041Stoke Heath662662782770Styal469453454444Sudbury610560621609Swaleside (Sheppey)1100959870846Swansea265265452441Swinfen Hall604604624608Thameside92692612321222The Mount1010100710481041The Verne570574608604Thorn Cross430430429424Usk / Prescoed419373536526Wakefield750750750745Wandsworth97995016281613Warren Hill269267267264Wayland894856917888Wealstun810809868854Werrington1181189281Wetherby340276306169Whatton774766855851Whitemoor461462436401Winchester448448678664Woodhill647583514489Wormwood Scrubs1178117612801279Wymott1192106811921173Total82024785118856187793

Prisoners' Release: Reoffenders

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number of offenders on licence that are recalled to prison.

Damian Hinds: Public protection is our priority. The decision to recall on offender on licensed supervision is taken on the professional advice of senior probation staff following consideration of safe alternatives to recall. Recalled individuals will remain in prison for only as long as necessary to protect the public.HM Chief Inspector of Probation’s thematic review on Probation Recall Culture & Practice, published in 2020 following the case of Joseph McCann, found that “…public protection and the protection of victims are central to probation service decision-making on recall…alternatives to recall are routinely considered where appropriate, but this does not compromise the focus of decision-making on public protection.”The Chief Inspector is currently undertaking a thematic review of recalls of offenders serving a sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP). We expect to receive the report in early 2024 and will consider its findings very carefully.

Prisoners' Release

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people charged with which offences have been released in error from prisons in 2023.

Damian Hinds: A prisoner is released in error if they are released earlier than their correct release date, they will be unlawfully at large until and unless they are subsequently released correctly or returned to custody. If the person released is not aware of the error and makes no attempt to evade arrest, then they have committed no offence and, in that sense, they may not be at fault.Releases in error are monitored closely to analyse the frequency across the estate and identify any trends nationally, while taking into consideration the management of risk to the public.Annual statistics on the numbers of prisoners released in error are published in the HMPPS Annual Digest on a financial year basis. Statistics are available for the number of prisoners released in error until March 2023 in the “chapter 1 tables – escapes offence data tool” which can be accessed at the following link. The pivot table includes breakdowns by incident type, for releases in error, and offence of the prisoner for each financial year.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpps-annual-digest-april-2022-to-march-2023.Data for the remainder of 2023 will be published in the HMPPS Annual Digest for the 23/24 financial year.

Prison Accommodation

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the prisoner capacity is at HMP (a) Huntercombe, (b) Maidstone and (c) Morton Hall as of 16 October 2023.

Damian Hinds: The population, operational capacity and certified normal accommodation (CNA) level of every prison is published monthly: Prison population figures: 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).HMP Huntercombe, HMP Maidstone and HMP Morton Hall are the three foreign national offenders (FNO) only prisons within HMPPS. They hold only those of interest to the Home Office with between 3 and 36 months left to serve. They include embedded Home Office staff with better access to FNOs to facilitate effective deportations.The table below provides the operational capacity and certified normal accommodation level at (a) HMP Huntercombe, (b) HMP Maidstone and (c) HMP Morton Hall on 16 October 2023. CNAOperational CapacityHuntercombe369480Maidstone565613Morton Hall353353 The Operational Capacity of a prison is the total number of prisoners that an establishment can hold taking into account control, security and the proper operation of the planned regime. It is determined by the Prison Group Directors on the basis of operational judgement and experience.We are committed to increasing the number of FNOs removed from our prisons, and all FNOs sentenced to custody are referred to us at the earliest opportunity to be considered for deportation.

Prison Accommodation

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the certified normal capacity is at (a) HMP Huntercombe, (b) HMP Maidstone and (c) HMP Morton Hall.

Damian Hinds: The population, operational capacity and certified normal accommodation (CNA) level of every prison is published monthly: Prison population figures: 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).HMP Huntercombe, HMP Maidstone and HMP Morton Hall are the three foreign national offenders (FNO) only prisons within HMPPS. They hold only those of interest to the Home Office with between 3 and 36 months left to serve. They include embedded Home Office staff with better access to FNOs to facilitate effective deportations.The table below provides the operational capacity and certified normal accommodation level at (a) HMP Huntercombe, (b) HMP Maidstone and (c) HMP Morton Hall on 16 October 2023. CNAOperational CapacityHuntercombe369480Maidstone565613Morton Hall353353 The Operational Capacity of a prison is the total number of prisoners that an establishment can hold taking into account control, security and the proper operation of the planned regime. It is determined by the Prison Group Directors on the basis of operational judgement and experience.We are committed to increasing the number of FNOs removed from our prisons, and all FNOs sentenced to custody are referred to us at the earliest opportunity to be considered for deportation.

Prisons: Translation Services

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many translators work at HMP (a) Huntercombe, (b) Maidstone and (c) Morton Hall as of 16 October 2023; and what languages those translators speak.

Damian Hinds: There are no translators employed in prisons on a permanent basis. The Ministry of Justice Language Service Contract provides face-to-face and telephone interpretation services for prisons, on a case-by-case basis, on request.

Prisons: Translation Services

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many translators work in prisons.

Damian Hinds: There are no translators employed in prisons on a permanent basis. The Ministry of Justice Language Service Contract provides face-to-face and telephone interpretation services for prisons, on a case-by-case basis, on request.

Prison Accommodation

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many rapid deployment cells are (a) in place and (b) planned at (i) HMP Huntercombe, (ii) HMP Maidstone and (iii) HMP Morton Hall.

Damian Hinds: We are delivering 40 Rapid Deployment Cells at HMP Huntercombe. Units were deployed at the site in September 2023 and essential works are ongoing to get the units ready for occupation. First prisoners are expected to occupy the units from early January 2024.There is no current plan to deliver Rapid Deployment Cells at HMP Maidstone or HMP Morton Hall.The Rapid Deployment Cells Project is a key element of the HMPPS Programme to create short-term prison places and this project has a clear strategic goal to deliver additional places at prisons across the country, whilst long-term capacity is built.We will continue to explore where Rapid Deployment Cells could potentially be deployed at prisons across the estate.

Pentonville Prison: Prisoners

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners were held at Pentonville Prison on 17 July 2023.

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prison officers at Pentonville Prison attended their shift on 17 July 2023.

Damian Hinds: On 17 July 2023, 1,179 prisoners were held at HMP Pentonville. 83 Band 3 Prison Officers were on duty in the prison on that day. Staffing levels were above the minimum staffing level required by the prison’s Regime Management Plan to deliver a safe and decent regime.Other staff were not in attendance for the following reasons:Annual leave 22Training 30Sick absence 11Other absences 14It should be noted that these figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.The data is collated to reflect individuals that attended throughout the day, this will be culmination of varying shifts throughout the period.The numbers who were on duty includes all staff that attended for all/part of a shift in the establishment, including any additional payment shifts & night duties. Those recorded in the category of ‘Other absences’ can include staff on Medical Appointments, Restricted Duties, Phased Return, Secondment, Maternity leave, Jury Service, Official Duty, Parental Leave, Suspension, Bedwatch, working at a different grade, time off in lieu and remote working.We have taken a series of measures to increase the prison workforce. Despite a challenging labour market, the 12 months ending 30 June 2023 saw an increase of 701 Full Time Equivalent Band 3-5 prison officers. This means we now have 4,000 more prison officers than in March 2017. We are committed to recruiting up to 5,000 prison officers across public and private prisons by the mid-2020s.We recently increased the pay of the vast majority of frontline officers by 7 per cent. Combined with other pay rises, this means starting pay for prison officers has increased since 2019 from £22,293 to £30,902 (on the basis of a national rate, 37 hour week with unsocial hours) or £23,529 to £32,851 (on the basis of a national rate, 39 hour week with unsocial hours).

Prisons: Overcrowding

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many police (a) forces and (b) cells have been used in Operation Safeguard in 2023.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average amount of time prisoners were held in a police cell for under Operation Safeguard in 2023.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has conducted a recent impact assessment of Operation Safeguard.

Damian Hinds: Operation Safeguard is a contingency measure that provides additional headroom for use if prisoners cannot be accepted from the courts or police custody. It is a temporary measure to provide a short-term solution.As of 16 October, there were 1,467 occasions where police cells, across 28 police forces, were used in Operation Safeguard, during 2023. The average time offenders have been held in these cells is 12.69 hours.When Operation Safeguard is active, tactical and operational governance reviews take place at regular intervals, as agreed with police partners. HM Prison & Probation Service engages frequently with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to ensure that action taken under Operation Safeguard does not hinder delivery of other services.

Prisons: Education

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the average number and proportion of hours spent by prisoners per (a) week and (b) month in (i) education-based classes and (ii) workshops in prison as of 13 October 2023.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of shortages of prison staff on the provision of education in prisons.

Damian Hinds: Because of the way in which data on education in prison are collected, it is not possible to provide a direct answer to the question posed, but prisons put on education classes and workshops 4.5 days a week, for approximately 5 - 6 hours a day, with local variations in place.While staff shortages can have some impact on education delivery, we are increasingly using technology and blended learning to increase the flexible delivery of education outside of the classroom. Attendance to education is higher now than it was before the pandemic lockdown in March 2020.

Home Office

Immigration: ICT

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answers of 25 November 2022 to Question 93420 and 1 December 2022 to Question 97406, what recent estimate she has made of the date by which the Atlas caseworking system will provide further information on the number of applicants having the No Recourse to Public Funds condition attached to their Leave to Remain.

Robert Jenrick: ATLAS will become the default caseworking system for in-country casework by early to Mid-2024. Following transition of in-country casework, ATLAS will therefore become the primary source of MI, including No Recourse to Public Funds, by early to Mid-2024.

Asylum: Housing

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when payments will be made to local authorities with large scale asylum accommodation sites in their boundaries; and if she will publish the criteria and conditions of the funding provided.

Robert Jenrick: We are committed to making the funding payments in the fastest manner possible, and while we are exploring options to accelerate this and make a one-off payment by the end of this month, at present we are working on a grant where the payment will be released to during the following quarter of the year in which the bed was first occupied. This payment aligns with those made for each new dispersal bed and a funding instruction will be provided when the grant is live.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his oral contribution of 19 September 2023, Official Report, column 1253, whether new Afghan people arriving in the UK on approved schemes will be placed in bridging accommodation.

Robert Jenrick: The UK has made an ambitious and generous commitment to help at-risk people in Afghanistan and, so far, we have brought around 24,600 people to safety, including thousands of people eligible for our Afghan schemes. We continue to honour our commitments to bring eligible Afghans to the UK.The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme which was formally opened on the 1 April 2021 , has already relocated thousands of Afghans who have worked for or alongside the UK government, and their families, and who are deemed eligible.In addition, the UK formally opened the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) on 6 January 2022. The scheme prioritises those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights, freedom of speech, and rule of law.We take seriously our commitment to resettling Afghans yet to arrive in the UK, including those eligible for our schemes still in Afghanistan. But our efforts to move people out of hotels has shown how vital it is that they are moved into long-term settled accommodation, so, they can put down roots in the community.Once in the UK eligible Afghans have the right to live, work and study, and can apply for benefits and other local authority support.

Immigration: Applications

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average processing time was for an application for indefinite leave to remain in the latest period for which data is available.

Robert Jenrick: Data on asylum applications, indefinite leave to remain and citizenship applications is published as part of immigration statistics (at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-system-statistics-year-ending-march-2023) and migration transparency data (at www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data).

Terrorism

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to deploy staff with training on supporting people affected by terrorism within the Criminal Injuries and Compensation Authority.

Tom Tugendhat: While no amount of compensation can make up for the ordeal suffered by victims of terrorism, it is right survivors get the support they need including through the publicly funded Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme that has paid out more than £173 million to victims of violent crime in the last year alone.The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), who also administer the Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme (VOCTS), have a designated team to handle applications made due to terrorist incidents, and the team works with relevant authorities to gather the information required to establish eligibility and assess the claims made, as quickly as possible after they are received.All staff have the right level of scheme training to manage applications from victims and their loved ones. It has invested in trauma-informed training and practice and continues to work with specialist organisations who work closely with victims to ensure victims get the support needed.

Draft Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to the Home Affairs Select Committee's report entitled Draft Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, HC 1359, published 27 July 2023.

Tom Tugendhat: We published the draft Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill on 2 May 2023. As you will be aware, the draft Bill has undertaken pre-legislative scrutiny through the Home Affairs Select Committee who published their report on 27 July.We thank the committee for their diligent review of the draft measures and for the evidence sessions they hosted. The Government is carefully considering its response, which will be provided in due course.

Artificial Intelligence: Terrorism

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he is taking steps to prohibit the promotion of AI chatbots that have been (a) programmed and (b) taught through self-learning to encourage users to commit terrorist acts.

Tom Tugendhat: We set out our regulatory approach in the AI Regulation White Paper, published in March 2023. The framework set out in the AI regulation White Paper aims to promote innovation while ensuring the government can adapt and respond proactively and coherently to the risks and opportunities that emerge as AI technology develops at pace. The upcoming PM-led AI Safety Summit, taking place on 1st & 2nd November 2023, will bring together major tech companies with leaders from around the world, to ensure the safe and reliable development and use of AI globally.Rapid work is underway across government to deepen our understanding of the risks and to promote effective safety features through the lifecycle of AI products. We are carefully considering the impact that AI may have on different crime types including terrorism. The government is firmly committed to improving our understanding and tackling Generative AI technologies’ impact on radicalisation. This includes engaging with the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation.The Home Office engages regularly with many companies developing Generative AI technologies on a range of critical public safety issues, including terrorism and radicalisation, to promote online safety-by-design. We will continue to develop safeguards and mitigations, working closely with international partners, civil society and academia, and we look forward to the outcomes of the AI Safety Summit in accelerating this important work.

Home Office: Travel

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to transaction number 90-DG -Delivery-8228, what class these tickets were; and how many were purchased.

Chris Philp: The tickets were two first class rail tickets totalling £822.80 for the Home Secretary and Private Secretary’s return journey to Stoke-on-Trent for a regional Cabinet Meeting.First class travel would have been booked as this is how the Home Secretary plus an official or a SpAd travels, due to the Home Secretary’s Protective Security arrangements.On this occasion the tickets were booked at short notice, which increased their cost. Specific trains had to be booked to enable the Home Secretary to arrive in time for Regional Cabinet meeting.

Refugees: Finance

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) people and (b) families received money from the Resettlement Grant in each year since 2015.

Robert Jenrick: The Information requested about the Facilitated Return Scheme (FRS) since 2015 is not available from published statistics.Information on the number of foreign national offenders that were returned from the UK under the Facilitated Return Scheme is available from Table FNO_09 in Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).Information on resettlement grants for FNOs departing under the FRS is available from The Facilitated Return Scheme (FRS) (publishing.service.gov.uk).

Offenders: Deportation

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on the number of foreign national offenders who have returned to the UK since being deported for the first time since 2010.

Robert Jenrick: Information on the number of foreign national offenders who have returned to the UK since being deported for the first time since is not available from published statistics. Information on the number of foreign national offenders who have returned from the UK is available by nationality on a quarterly basis from Table Ret_D03 in Returns and detention datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Refugees: Sudan

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what safe and legal routes are available for Sudanese refugees to come to the UK to escape ethnic cleansing in Darfur.

Robert Jenrick: The UK has a proud history of supporting refugees. Since 2015, we have offered a place through our safe and legal routes to over half a million people seeking safety in the UK, as well as family members of refugees. Where somebody has a link to the UK, they may be eligible for our family routes.The UK continues to welcome refugees through our existing global resettlement schemes, which includes the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship and the Mandate Resettlement Scheme. We are proud to have welcomed over 300 Sudanese nationals through the UKRS and Community Sponsorship since 2021.Our global resettlement schemes are not application based; instead, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) refers individuals for resettlement in accordance with their standard resettlement submission criteria. These are based on an assessment of protection needs or vulnerabilities. The UK does not seek to intervene in or influence UNHCR’s established selection processes.There are additional routes for people to come to the UK to work or study provided they meet the requirements of the relevant immigration rules under which they are applying. However, the UK has finite resources and is so not able to provide tailored humanitarian routes in every circumstance.

Refugees: Israel and Palestinians

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has established services to support people seeking refuge in the UK from (a) Israel and (b) Palestine.

Robert Jenrick: All asylum and human rights claims lodged in the UK and accepted into the UK asylum system, including those from Israel or Palestine, are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Further information on how to claim asylum is available on the GOV.UK website at: www.gov.uk/claim-asylumThe Home Office does not provide immigration advice in individual casesFurther information is available on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser

Asylum: MOD Wethersfield

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the net financial costs to public services in Essex of the Wethersfield asylum seeker accommodation site.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office is carefully considering the impact on local services including the NHS, police, fire services and social care and we are working with local partners to develop bespoke plans that take account of potential issues including local public safety, local health services, local environmental issues, impact on local services and any risks associated with each site. Financial support is being provided to Braintree District Council, and primary healthcare is available onsite to ensure there is no impact on local GPs. The government provides £3,500 to local authorities for new and occupied dispersal beds. This £3,500 funding for local authorities is being provided to Braintree District Council for the site at Wethersfield.

Asylum

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the recommendations in the report by the ONE campaign entitled Getting a grip: How the Home Office should improve refugee and asylum seeker welfare and protect UK aid.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office is tackling the asylum legacy caseload so that people can receive a decision and exit the system, either by returning to their home country, or granting them asylum so they can begin to make a contribution to the UK. We have already increased the number of decision makers to over 2,500 as of January 2023. We will continue to increase the number of caseworkers to help clear the asylum backlog by the end of 2023.We are also improving the productivity, volumes, and speed of decision making so that people spend less time in asylum accommodation. We are streamlining and modernising the end-to-end process, with improved guidance, more focused and fewer interviews, enhancing use of digital technology, and we are introducing a more efficient approach to how claims are handled by decision makers. The aim is to clear initial asylum decisions relating to claims made before 28 June 2022, when the Nationality and Borders Act measures came into force, by the end of 2023.The Home Office is committed to making every effort to reduce hotel use and limit the burden on the taxpayer. This is why we are delivering a range of alternative accommodation sites, maximising hotel space, operationalising the Illegal Migration Act and continuing our hard work to clear the asylum backlog by the end of the year.In line with our response to the ICAI review, FCDO published the updated UK In-Donor Refugee Costs methodology report alongside our latest Statistics on International Development.The full methodology report can be found here. Section 3 sets our the fit for purpose assessment and current data limitations.

Home Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to transaction number 1-COMMS - Communications Directorate-72389, how many times this equipment has been used; and if she will make an assessment of its (a) utility, (b) impact and (c) value for money.

Chris Philp: The photography background was purchased to provide a professional multi-purpose backdrop to a broad range of video and photo communications for the Home Office including social media, departmental announcements, Ministerial pre-records, pool clips, other media moments and range of internal filming. The background is used on an almost weekly basis for all of the above.

Police: Football

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much police forces spent on policing football league matches in (a) 2021 and (b) 2022.

Chris Philp: The Home Office does not hold this information. It is an operational decision for police forces to determine how to use resources to manage events in their areas.Some policing costs may be chargeable to event organisers under Section 25 of the Police Act 1996 (Special Policing Services), but police maintain a statutory duty to ensure public safety.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has plans to relocate Afghan people who are (a) eligible for relocation to the UK and (b) in Pakistan before 1 November; and what assessment her Department has made of the implications for its policies of reports that the Government of Pakistan plans to deport Afghans without documentation from November 2023.

Robert Jenrick: Continuing to support the resettlement of eligible Afghans under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) & Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) remains a priority for the Government. To date, we have brought around 24,600 people affected by events in Afghanistan to safety, which includes those evacuated under Op PITTING. We are aware of recent Government of Pakistan announcements regarding Afghans illegally present in Pakistan. FCDO and the British High Commission are monitoring the situation closely. They are in frequent contact with the Pakistani authorities to try and ensure that no ARAP or ACRS eligible individuals are negatively affected while they await relocation to the UK, and are seeking assurances to this effect.

Police: Cycling

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much police forces spent on policing cycling tours in (a) 2021 and (b) 2022.

Chris Philp: The Home Office does not hold this information. It is an operational decision for police forces to determine how to use resources to manage events in their areas.Some policing costs may be chargeable to event organisers under Section 25 of the Police Act 1996 (Special Policing Services), but police maintain a statutory duty to ensure public safety.

Police

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to help increase public trust in the police.

Chris Philp: The Government has been clear that police officers must be held to the highest standards and that this is vital to public trust.The Home Office established the Angiolini Inquiry following the horrific murder of Sarah Everard, to identify lessons for policing so that the public can have confidence that the police are there to protect them. Part 1 of the Inquiry is due to report in early 2024. In May this year the Home Secretary commissioned Part 2 of the Inquiry to consider broader issues in policing, such as vetting, recruitment and culture, as well as the safety of women in public spaces. The terms of reference for Part 2 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/angiolini-inquiry-part-2-terms-of-reference.The Home Office has recently announced measures to strengthen the police dismissals system, to ensure processes are effective at removing those not fit to serve. The review’s full report can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-officer-dismissals-home-office-review. The Home Secretary also asked the College of Policing to strengthen the statutory code of practice for police vetting, which was published in July and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-vetting-code-of-practice.

Refugees: Israel and Palestinians

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a family reunion scheme to support Israeli and Palestinian relatives of UK residents to come to the UK for the duration of the war.

Robert Jenrick: There are no plans to create a bespoke family reunion scheme.We will accept applications, which would normally have to be made in the country where the person is living, at any of the UK’s Visa Application Centres.

Refugees: Palestinians

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has considered the potential merits of introducing a scheme similar to the Homes for Ukraine scheme for Palestinians.

Robert Jenrick: The safety of all British nationals continues to be our utmost priority. The UK is also calling for unimpeded humanitarian access in Gaza so that essential aid can reach civilian populations, including food, water, fuel and medical supplies.The Home Office has not considered establishing a separate route for Palestinians to come to the UK. Since 2015, over half a million people were offered safe and legal routes into the UK. We are not able to provide a tailored route for every conflict.

Fire and Rescue Services: Maternity Pay

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made a comparative assessment of (a) provision and (b) the level of maternity pay in fire and rescue services.

Chris Philp: Setting fire pay and conditions, including setting a minimum national maternity entitlement, is the responsibility of employers, working through the National Joint Council. The Home Office plays no role in the negotiation or funding of firefighter pay.

Asylum: MOD Wethersfield

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers have been (a) transferred to and (b) housed at the asylum accommodation centre at MDP Wethersfield site since it opened.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers who were accommodated at MDP Wethersfield moved into alternative accommodation as a result of a modern day slavery claim being made.

Robert Jenrick: We are using a phased approach, increasing the number of asylum seekers accommodated at the site over time with the practicalities of managing the site under constant review. The site can accommodate 1700 individuals when fully operational. From 13 April 2022, all local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales are currently considered a dispersal area and will need to take part in asylum dispersal. This is to ensure a fair and equitable accommodation spread of asylum seekers across the UK. We have agreed targets for every local authority and region in the UK to deliver by the end of 2023. Scotland is currently not meeting its dispersal accommodation target.

Asylum: MOD Wethersfield

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, of how asylum seekers who have left MDP Wethersfield site the location is unknown.

Robert Jenrick: Those living at the Wethersfield site are be able to come and go. The process for leaving the site is the same as the rest of our asylum accommodation.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's planned timescale if for reopening referrals under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme Pathway 3.

Robert Jenrick: Supporting the resettlement of individuals eligible under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) remains a priority for HMG.To date we have bought around 24,600 people affected by events in Afghanistan to safety. This includes the first individuals to be relocated under Pathway 3 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).Under the first stage of Pathway 3, the government will consider for resettlement all eligible at risk-British Council and GardaWorld contractors and Chevening alumni, who expressed interest during the FCDO’s window of opportunity. This means that we will exceed the original allocation of 1,500 places for the first stage of ACRS Pathway 3. Our immediate focus is on ensuring their resettlement.In the second stage of Pathway 3, our commitment to work with international partners and NGOs to welcome wider groups of Afghans at risk still stands. We are not able to open for referrals at this present time, but further information will be published in due course.We are acutely aware of the difficult situation that many individuals find themselves in. We continue to work with likeminded partners and those countries neighbouring Afghanistan on resettlement issues, and in order to support safe passage for eligible Afghans.

Asylum: MOD Wethersfield

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2023 to Question 191112 on Asylum: MOD Wethersfield, when she plans to announce the planning process which will be followed for the MOD Wethersfield site for asylum accommodation.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office currently has planning permission for Wethersfield under Class Q Permitted Development rights which is valid for 12 months. If a decision is made to seek planning permission for use of the site as asylum accommodation beyond this period, it will be communicated in due course.

Refugees: Afghanistan

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2023 to Question 199700 Refugees: Afghanistan, if she will publish the data on arrival dates collected for internal and operational use; and what guidance her Department issues on the status of such data under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Robert Jenrick: Exact arrival dates are not contained within the quarterly Immigration system statistics, however arrivals by quarter can be found within the immigration statistics for year ending June 2023 - GOV.UKThe data that is published for arrivals under Afghan Resettlement Schemes is viewable at: Immigration system statistics quarterly release - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Freedom of Information requests for Afghan resettlement data are dealt with in accordance with the relevant FOIA guidance.

Forced Marriage Unit

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold discussions with the Comptroller and Auditor General on a possible value for money audit of the Forced Marriage Unit.

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions the Forced Marriage Unit had provided incorrect advice to victims in the latest period for which data is available.

Miss Sarah Dines: The Government is committed to tackling forced marriage in all its forms.The Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) is jointly managed by the Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The FMU has assisted thousands of forced marriage victims and delivered training to over 5,000 professionals in the last three years. There are currently no plans for an audit of FMU, but its performance and value for money is kept under regular review.The FMU has robust processes and procedures in place to ensure information given to victims and the professionals who support them is accurate. No complaints from victims have been received in the past four years for which records are available. All cases reported to the FMU are recorded on a dedicated casework database.FMU caseworkers check the full circumstances of each case before giving advice. The FMU has no record of providing inaccurate information or advice to a victim or suspected victim of forced marriage.

Offenders: Deportation

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of Foreign National Offender Asylum Interview Records were conducted within her Department's target in each of the last ten years.

Robert Jenrick: The information requested is not available from published statistics. There is no individual Key Performance Indicator relating to conducting asylum interviews for foreign national offenders.

Migrant Workers: Visas

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of employers making sponsorship applications for visas received a decision within eight weeks in the last 12 months.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office does not publish data that would cover this request.

Migrant Workers: Visas

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many employers sponsored applications for visas in the last 12 months; and how many of those applications were identified as complex.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how long on average it has taken for visa applications sponsored by employers and identified as complex to be processed in the last 12 months.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many employers waiting for the outcome of visas they have sponsored to be determined have been waiting for a decision for (a) over three months, (b) over six months, (c) over one year and (d) over two years as of 16 October 2023.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many employers are awaiting the outcome of a visa application they have sponsored to be determined as of 16 October 2023.

Robert Jenrick: UKVI are unable to determine how many employers are awaiting the outcome of visa applications, as numerous applications may be linked to one employer and we do not produce published data on this.The latest published data that shows the breakdown by the length of time taken to process a sponsorship application and the average length of time taken (days) to process a sponsorship application can be found here at Sponsorship transparency data: Q2 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Offenders: Deportation

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much the resettlement grant under the Facilitated Return Scheme was in each year since 2015.

Robert Jenrick: The Information requested about the Facilitated Return Scheme since 2015 is not available from published statistics.Information on the number of foreign national offenders that were returned from the UK under the Facilitated Return Scheme is available from Table FNO_09 in Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Offenders: Deportation

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications to the Facilitated Return Scheme were made in each year since 2015.

Robert Jenrick: Information on the number of applications to the Facilitated Return Scheme that were made in each year since 2015 is not available in a reportable format.Information on the number of foreign national offenders that were returned from the UK under the Facilitated Return Scheme is available from Table FNO_09 in Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Electronic Surveillance

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the debate on the report entitled Pegasus and similar spyware and secret state surveillance, which was held at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 11 October 2023.

Tom Tugendhat: The UK’s National Cyber Strategy commits the UK to countering the proliferation of high-end cyber capabilities and reducing the opportunity for states and organised crime groups to access them via commercial and criminal marketplaces, as well as tackling forums that enable, facilitate, or glamorise cyber criminality.With respect to spyware specifically, it is vital that all cyber capabilities are used in ways that are legal, responsible, and proportionate to ensure cyberspace remains a safe and prosperous place for everyone. In March 2023, the United Kingdom signed the Joint Statement on Efforts to Counter the Proliferation and Misuse of Commercial Spyware alongside 10 other like-minded countries, including the United States. As part of this, the UK and other signatories recognised the threat posed by the misuse of commercial spyware, such as Pegasus, and the need to strictly control its proliferation at both a domestic and international level.The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 provides a legal framework for the use of investigatory powers by UK law enforcement and the intelligence community where it is necessary and proportionate to do so. The Act also contains strong safeguards, including a ‘double lock’, which requires warrants for the most intrusive powers to be authorised by a Secretary of State (or Chief Constable in case of Law Enforcement) and approved by a Judicial Commissioner, as well as rigorous independent oversight of their use by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner.

Fraud

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many crime reports Action Fraud have received in each month since September 2021; and of those, what proportion have met the assessment case criteria implemented by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau to be investigated.

Tom Tugendhat: The monthly breakdown of fraud offences reported to Action fraud can be found in table A4b here: Crime in England and Wales: Appendix tables - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)The Home Office also collects information on the number of fraud offences that the National Fraud Investigation Bureau (NFIB) refer to police forces for investigation and on the number of fraud outcomes recorded by the police. This data is published annually as part of the ‘Crime Outcomes in England and Wales’ publication. The latest available data for the year ending March 2023 can be found in Section 4, Experimental Statistics: Investigative outcomes assigned to Fraud and Computer Misuse Act (CMA) offences, here: Crime outcomes in England and Wales 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Hamas: Demonstrations

Nick Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to work with the police to identify Hamas supporters at anti-Israel rallies in the UK.

Tom Tugendhat: The Government takes proscription offences seriously. Investigations into the activities of proscribed organisations or individuals who may be members of or who demonstrate support for proscribed organisations are an operational matter for the police and intelligence agencies.Following the terrorist attacks on Israel, the Home Secretary wrote to police chiefs in England and Wales urging them to step up patrols and use the full force of the law to tackle those inciting hatred towards our Jewish communities.The Home Secretary and the Prime Minister have hosted a roundtable with police chiefs and the Community Security Trust (CST) to discuss the practical steps that can be taken to enhance the operational response to any potential disorder.Public order policing has disseminated briefing materials to police forces covering hate crime and the proscription offences, including advice on the flags associated with proscribed organisations Hamas and Hizballah.

Missing Persons

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were classified as long-term missing in each year since 2010.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding has been provided by her Department to find missing persons in each year since 2010.

Miss Sarah Dines: The Home Office provides funding to police forces through the Police Settlement, and the allocation of funding within forces is an operational matter for Chief Constables. For this reason, it is not possible to disaggregate funding which is spent specifically on missing people. The Home Office also provides funding to Missing People, a charity which plays a unique safeguarding role with respect to vulnerable missing children and adults, including support for, and promotion of, live police missing persons investigations. Annual missing persons statistics, going back to 2010 and including how many people were classified as long-term missing, are published by the National Crime Agency’s Missing Person’s Unit: http://missingpersons.police.uk In the year to March 2022 there were a total of 4,521 long-term missing individuals outstanding in police forces in England and Wales. Long-term missing individuals are people reported missing prior to the current reporting year and who are still missing on the last day of the reporting year, e.g. reporting year 2021/22 includes all individuals reported missing prior to 1st April 2021 and who are still missing on 31st March 2022.

Department of Health and Social Care

Smoking

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is reduce the prevalence of smoking.

Neil O'Brien: Smoking rates in England have been consistently falling and are currently at 12.7%, according to 2022 data from the Office for National Statistics.On 4 October 2023, the Prime Minister unveiled plans to introduce a new law to stop children who turn 14 years old this year or younger from ever legally being sold cigarettes, in a bid to create the first ‘smokefree generation’. This announcement was accompanied with additional funding, including £70 million extra per year to fund local stop smoking services and £5 million this year and then £15 million per year thereafter to fund national stop smoking marketing campaigns.This is in addition to a range of other measures which we announced in April 2023, including a new national swap to stop scheme to provide vapes to one million smokers to help them to quit, and an evidence-based financial incentives scheme to help all pregnant smokers to quit.We are confident that the new measures announced by the Prime Minister, in addition to the actions we are already taking, will set us on course to both achieve our bold ambition to be smokefree by 2030 and create the first smokefree generation.

Dental Services

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the Health and Social Care Select Committee report entitled NHS Dentistry, published on 14 July 2023.

Neil O'Brien: The Department is carefully considering the recommendations of the Health and Social Care Committee’s Ninth Report of Session 2022–23 on NHS dentistry, published on 14 July 2023. The Government’s response will be submitted in due course.

Ophthalmic Services

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending eye care liaison officer provision to provide (a) emotional support and (b) practical advice for newly diagnosed individuals.

Neil O'Brien: The Government recognises the profound impact that sight loss can have on a person’s life and the important and valuable role that Eye Clinic Liaison Officers can play in supporting patients at the point of diagnosis. Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning all secondary care ophthalmology services, with decisions made locally on the configuration and provision of such services.

Drinks: Artificial Sweeteners

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to review the regulation of sweeteners in drink products.

Neil O'Brien: Sweeteners are food additives that require authorisation from Ministers before they can be used. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has responsibility for the safety of food additives and advises Ministers on the authorisation of new additives and/or changes to additive provisions, based on a rigorous scientific safety assessment. The FSA currently has no plans to review the use of sweeteners in drink products, based on the current scientific evidence.

Mortality Rates

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2023 to Question 117873 on Mortality Rates, whether a detailed assessment is now available on factors that contributed to ONS data showing that excess deaths in England and Wales were higher than the five-year average in September, October and November 2022; and if he will make a statement.

Neil O'Brien: A detailed assessment is not available.

Smoking

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Prime Minister's announcement on a smokefree generation on 4 October 2023 on the operational capacity of police forces.

Neil O'Brien: No assessment has been made. As is the case with existing age of sale legislation for tobacco products, breaches of the new law will be dealt with by local authority trading standards rather than by police forces. As previously stated, our new policies will not criminalise smoking.

Health Services: Carbon Monoxide

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to findings in the All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group's report entitled Prepare, Practice, Protect: Improving Carbon Monoxide Safety in Health and Care Services, published July 2023, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for national resources on carbon monoxide funding.

Maria Caulfield: No recent assessment has been made.There is a range of national resources available to promote carbon monoxide safety. This includes guidance on GOV.UK, the National Health Service website and from the Health and Safety Executive. The UK Health Security Agency also has a programme of work, much of it delivered in partnership with other organisations, to increase awareness of carbon monoxide exposure risks and help to prevent them.

Carbon Monoxide: Poisoning

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to help (a) prevent and (b) diagnose carbon monoxide poisoning in (i) healthcare settings and (ii) the homes of vulnerable people.

Maria Caulfield: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works with national and local stakeholders, public health partners and Government Departments to develop advice and actions which can be taken to improve diagnosis and prevent accidental exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) in healthcare settings and homes, including the homes of vulnerable people.It has a programme of work to increase awareness and prevent exposure to CO. This includes participating in the cross-Government group on gas safety and carbon monoxide awareness and providing updated and consistent evidence, for example, for medical professionals diagnosing and managing CO poisoning in patients, and during antenatal checks.UKHSA produces advice for the public on the risks from CO and regularly issues national press releases to raise public awareness of the dangers. In addition, UKHSA has published research quantifying CO exposure in the population, identifying risk factors for exposure and interventions to reduce the risk to the public.

Mental Health Services: Birmingham

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken to access mental health services in Birmingham.

Maria Caulfield: The NHS Long Term Plan commits to investing £2.3 billion extra funding a year in expanding and transforming mental health services by March 2024, enabling an extra two million people, including in Birmingham, to be treated by National Health Service mental health services.The Department also provided an additional £500 million in 2021/22 to accelerate our expansion plans and help address waiting times for mental health services. The NHS is also working towards implementing five new waiting time standards for people requiring mental healthcare in both accident and emergency and in the community, to ensure timely access to the most appropriate, high-quality support.

Healthy Start Scheme

Andrew Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has a target for the percentage of eligible people accessing the healthy start scheme in 2023.

Neil O'Brien: The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. The NHSBSA is committed to increasing uptake of the scheme to ensure as many children as possible have a healthy start in life. The NHSBSA promotes the Healthy Start scheme through its digital channels and has created free tools to help stakeholders promote the scheme locally. The NHSBSA has also reached out to stakeholders to see how it can support them to promote the scheme.

Mental Health: Children and Young People

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate on the report entitled Mental health and well-being of children and young adults, which was held at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 13 October 2023.

Maria Caulfield: We have made no such assessment.

Coronavirus and Influenza

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what stocks NHS England has of (a) covid-19 boosters, (b) covid-19 rapid tests, (c) N95 masks and (d) flu vaccines as of October 2023, in the context of preparations for winter 2023-24.

Maria Caulfield: COVID-19 vaccines are purchased by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). NHS England manages the distribution of stock to the front-line. At the beginning of the autumn/winter campaign, NHS England had access to 14.5 million doses of applicable vaccines, to meet the needs of the eligible cohorts as advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. NHS England also has stocks of 1,509,200 COVID-19 rapid tests and 114,061,080 FFP3 respirators.NHS England does not centrally procure or stock any adult flu vaccines. General practitioners and other providers are responsible for ordering adult flu vaccine directly from suppliers, which are used to deliver the national flu programme to the other eligible groups. Children’s flu vaccines are centrally procured and distributed by UKHSA. We are unable to provide specific stack levels as this information is commercially sensitive but there are adequate stocks of the live attenuated vaccine.

Fractures: Health Services

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to provide additional funding to extend the provision of fracture liaison services to all NHS trusts.

Will Quince: On 24 January 2023, we announced our plan to publish the Major Conditions Strategy. The Strategy will focus on six major groups of conditions, including musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders such as osteoporosis.We have now published our initial report ‘Major Conditions Strategy: Case for change and our strategic framework’. It sets out what we have learned so far, and shares what we plan to focus on next to develop the final strategy.For MSK conditions, it sets out that we will look to aim to improve services where medical treatment is necessary. Together with NHS England, we will explore supporting the further provision of fracture liaison services. This could include identifying people at risk of further osteoporotic fragility fracture and implementing strategies to reduce the risk of future fracture, including falls, and mortality.

Health Services: Young People

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of young people on the development of the Major Conditions Strategy.

Will Quince: The Department is engaging with several stakeholders in the development of the Major Conditions Strategy including organisations that represent babies, children and young people.

Hospitals: Construction

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, by what date he plans to publish the full design for Hospital 2.0.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide a list of hospital projects he plans to construct using Hospital 2.0 designs.

Will Quince: Hospital 2.0 is a standardised design for future hospitals which will benefit patients and staff through digital solutions and optimised hospital specifications. We currently expect that the full design for Hospital 2.0 will be released in May of next year.All 27 hospital schemes in Cohorts 3, 4 and the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Cohort will be constructed in alignment with Hospital 2.0 designs and principles. The following list contains the schemes which will be built in line with Hospital 2.0 designs:- Specialist and Emergency Care Hospital Sutton, Epsom Hospital & St Helier Hospital- Whipps Cross University Hospital- Hillingdon Hospital- Princess Alexandra Hospital- North Manchester General Hospital- Leeds General Infirmary- Watford General, Hemel Hempstead and St Albans City Hospitals- Leicester General Hospital, Royal Infirmary, Glenfield Hospital Leicester- Milton Keynes Hospital- St Mary's Hospital, Imperial- Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial- Kettering General Hospital- Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) and Nottingham City Hospital- Royal Preston Hospital and Royal Lancaster Infirmary- Eastbourne District General, Conquest and Bexhill Community Hospitals- Hampshire Hospitals- Royal Berkshire Hospital- North Devon District Hospital, Barnstaple- Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton- Torbay Hospital- James Paget Hospital- West Suffolk Hospital- Airedale Hospital- Frimley Park Hospital- Hinchingbrooke Hospital- Leighton Hospital- Queen Elizabeth Hospital

National Data Guardian for Health and Care: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much the National Data Guardian spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Will Quince: The National Data Guardian (NDG) and staff are hosted by NHS England. Equality, diversity and inclusivity training is provided by NHS England under the terms of the hosted office arrangements and must be completed by all staff. The NDG’s office has not spent any of its budget on additional equality and diversity training.

NHS: Correspondence

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of NHS (a) IT systems and (b) storage systems for patient letters.

Will Quince: We have set out our plans in ‘A Plan for Digital Health and Care’ in June 2022 to update and improve technology efficiency and efficacy in the National Health Service, including plans to digitise the frontline of the NHS and improve services for patients and staff. Further detail is also set out in the ‘Data Saves Lives’ strategy, and in the annual business plans for both the Department and NHS England.More specifically, NHS IT capability in England is being measured and tracked through an annual digital maturity assessment designed to support trusts to understand their digital and data maturity and develop plans to meet our digitisation standards. This was carried out for the first time in 2023.Additionally, NHS England does not have plans to make an assessment on the adequacy of NHS storage systems for patient letters. NHS service providers are responsible for arrangements on storing patient letters.

Medical Treatments: Artificial Intelligence

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had on trial of Galen technology by Imperial College Healthcare, University College London, University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and University Hospitals Southampton; and whether he plans to roll out that technology.

Will Quince: The Galen Platform, which has been developed by Ibex Medical Analytics, has received funding from the AI in Health and Care Award to test whether the Galen Platform can assist clinicians in diagnosing prostate cancer faster. This funding is supporting the first real-world tests of the Galen Platform in a hospital setting to accelerate generating evidence of its effectiveness, which could lead to the technology's rapid adoption. There are currently no plans to roll out the Galen Platform wider as the AI in Health and Care Award trial continues.

Diabetes and Obesity

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many hospital admissions were due to issues relating to obesity and diabetes in (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22 and (d) 2022-23; and what steps he is taking to reduce the number of these admissions.

Helen Whately: The following table shows hospital admission data due to diabetes mellitus and obesity and other hyperalimentation episodes: AdmissionsYearDiabetes MellitusObesity and other hyperalimentation2019-2059,82811,0252020-2154,8114,0952021-2261,6637,9352022-2361,7968,970Source: Hospital Admitted Patient Care Activity, NHS DigitalThe NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme supports those identified at high risk of type 2 diabetes to reduce their risk. Latest figures in February 2023 shows a 20% reduction in risk for those who are referred to the programme compared to those who are not.The weight loss drug Semaglutide (Wegovy) was launched in the United Kingdom on 4 September 2023 and will be made available on the National Health Service in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommendations to ensure cost effective use. A two-year pilot backed by up to £40 million is being developed to explore ways to make these drugs accessible to patients living with obesity outside of hospital settings.

Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of (a) the potential impact of the level of the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access payment percentages on and (b) other factors affecting the decisions by pharmaceutical companies on whether to invest in the UK.

Will Quince: The Government has considered in broad terms the link between volume-based rebate payments in our medicine pricing schemes and various kinds of investment in our Impact Assessment of updates to the Statutory Scheme for branded medicines pricing, which operates alongside voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access. The Government’s 2023 Impact Assessment of updates to the Statutory Scheme is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/review-of-the-scheme-to-control-the-cost-of-branded-health-service-medicinesWe are in close discussions with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Business and Trade about the business environment for life sciences and its impact on investment.

Telemedicine: Hospital Beds

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many virtual beds are in use in the NHS.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were treated in virtual beds in the NHS in England in September 2023.

Helen Whately: Published data from NHS England for virtual wards show that in September 2023, there were 6,807 patients treated in virtual beds. The total number of virtual beds available in September was 10,421.

Hospitals: Discharges

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of hospitals (a) have and (b) do not have care transfer hubs.

Helen Whately: Care transfer hubs are local health and social care coordinating centres linking all relevant services across sectors to manage complex discharges. As of May 2023, 167 National Health Service acute trusts (99%) self-assessed as aligned to a care transfer hub, and one was in the process of setting one up.As of May 2023, 19 community hospital trusts said they were not yet aligned to a care transfer hub, and these will be a focus for the next phase.We have since provided support to local systems to strengthen their care transfer hubs ahead of this winter. This support is provided through the Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan support offer, and includes webinars, action learning sets and access to case studies and best practice.

Hospitals: Discharges

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the policy paper entitled 2023 to 2025 Better Care Fund policy framework, published on 5 April 2023, how his Department is using the additional £1.6 billion funding for the discharge of hospital patients into social care.

Helen Whately: The 2023 to 2025 Better Care Fund policy framework allows areas to plan more strategically over a longer period. We have committed at least £16.8 billion to improve discharge, as well as reduce pressure on urgent and emergency care, social care, intermediate care, unpaid carers and housing. This includes an extra £600 million in 2023/24 and £1 billion in 2024/25 allocated via the Discharge Fund to local authorities and integrated care boards. They have the flexibility to spend this in ways they deem most appropriate to assist local areas in freeing up the maximum number of hospital beds and reducing bed days lost through, for example, short-term packages of care, community-based reablement capacity or building the workforce capacity needed to continue to support care users.

NHS 111: Health Professions

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many retired clinicians were employed by NHS 111 in (a) April and (b) September 2023.

Helen Whately: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of NHS hospitals (a) provide and (b) do not provide same-day emergency care services.

Helen Whately: NHS England advise that 173 out of 175 hospital sites, or 99%, provide Same Day Emergency Care services.

Mental Health Services: Waiting Lists

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the average time taken for an individual to receive a mental health (a) assessment and (b) diagnosis.

Maria Caulfield: No such formal assessment has been made. The demand on National Health Service mental health services has risen significantly as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise in the cost of living on people’s mental health continue to be felt. The NHS is working to ensure that help is available for people as early as possible.We are investing at least £2.3 billion of additional funding a year by March 2024 compared to 2018/19, to expand and transform mental health services in England so that two million more people can get the mental health support that they need. The Plan also commits to growing the mental health workforce by an additional 27,000 staff in the same period.NHS England is working towards implementing five new access and waiting time standards for mental health services as part of its clinical review of NHS Access Standards.

Bipolar Disorder

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Department has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the findings in the report entitled Bipolar Minds Matter, published by Bipolar UK in November 2022.

Maria Caulfield: No such formal assessment has been made.However, we remain committed to investing in mental health services in the National Health Service in England by at least £2.3 billion a year by March 2024, as set out in the NHS Long Term Plan. This includes significant investment to the transformation of community mental health services, which aims to increase access to high quality care and transform care pathways to provide care in the community for people with severe mental illness, including bipolar disorder.

Health Services: Finance

Sir Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish his Department's response to the independent report by RedQuadrant, entitled Building the Right support: an analysis of funding flows, published by his Department on 14 July 2022.

Maria Caulfield: There are no plans to publish a response to this report. The primary recommendations made in this report by RedQuadrant were used to inform the Building the Right Support Action Plan published in July 2022.

Caffeine: Children

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing restrictions on the sale of high caffeine (a) drinks and (b) foods to under-16-year-olds.

Neil O'Brien: There are no plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing restrictions on the sale of high caffeine foods to children under 16 years old. We have consulted on a proposal to end the sale of energy drinks, which are high in caffeine, to children in England and we will be setting out our full response to the consultation in due course. Manufacturers currently must label foods to which caffeine is added for a physiological purpose: “Contains caffeine. Not recommended for children or pregnant women” and all drinks (except tea and coffee) containing over 150mg of caffeine per litre as “High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women”.

Dentistry: Qualifications

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the General Dental Council on steps to help reduce the time taken to approve qualified dentists.

Neil O'Brien: The Department works closely with the General Dental Council (GDC) to support them to reduce the time taken to register suitably qualified dentists. In March 2023, we introduced legislation that gives the GDC greater flexibility to expand the registration routes for international applicants and improve its international registration processes. We welcome the GDC’s recent announcement that it has doubled the size of its registration casework team to improve its registration application processing times for dentists and dental care professionals.

NHS: Complaints

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of NHS complaints.

Maria Caulfield: The Department has worked closely with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman on his work to develop the NHS Complaint Standards, which set out how organisations providing services in the National Health Service should approach complaint handling. The Standards place a strong focus on early resolution of concerns, so they can be successfully addressed without the need for them to become formal complaints. The Standards set out practical advice and good practice for NHS organisations to deal with as many issues as possible in this way.

Veterans: Chronic Illnesses

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support the Government is providing to veterans who developed chronic illnesses after serving in the Gulf.

Maria Caulfield: Veterans who served in the Gulf War and are suffering with adverse health conditions, whether physical or mental, should contact their general practitioner (GP) in the first instance to seek appropriate treatment for their symptoms. GPs can refer them for further support as required to meet their clinical needs.In England, the National Health Service has set up several veteran specific services including Op RESTORE and Op COURAGE. Where injuries and ongoing medical problems are a result of service in the armed forces, GPs should refer individuals directly into the Op RESTORE service. Op RESTORE can also assist in providing wrap-around support while waiting for clinical interventions to take place. Op COURAGE provides a complete mental health care pathway for veterans and can be accessed directly or following a referral by their GP.

Hearing Impairment and Visual Impairment: Bradford South

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of access to (a) adult hearing loss services and (b) sight loss services in Bradford South constituency.

Maria Caulfield: The Department does not currently have any plans to make such an assessment. Commissioning of hearing and sight loss services takes place at a local level based on the needs of the local population, and we expect commissioners to follow relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. Regarding sight loss services, the development of integrated care systems and the National Ophthalmic Eye Care Recovery and Transformation Programme represents an opportunity to join up social and clinical care and ensure that there is an integrated approach to covering all aspects of eye care including access to sight loss services.For hearing loss, the Action Plan on Hearing Loss (2015) sets out key objectives on hearing loss, including prevention, early diagnosis, maximising independence and enabling people to take part in everyday activities. ‘Commissioning Services for People with Hearing Loss: A Framework for Clinical Commissioning Groups’ was published in July 2016. This framework supports the newly established integrated care boards in England to make informed decisions on maximising value for local populations and provide consistent, high quality, integrated care. It also addresses inequalities in access and outcomes between hearing services.Where sight or hearing loss leads to a social care need, local authorities are responsible for assessing an individual’s eligibility for care and support.

Bipolar Disorder: Diagnosis

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of people diagnosed with a bipolar condition.

Maria Caulfield: The information requested is not available in the format requested, due to limitations of the diagnosis data collected within the Mental Health Services Dataset.Analysis shows that around 20-25% of people in the dataset have a diagnosis recorded, therefore any data provided for diagnosis would represent an undercount. Alternative data is presented showing the number of referrals to secondary mental health services where the primary reason for referral was bipolar disorder in England between 2021/22 and 2022/23.According to NHS England, the number of referrals to mental health services in England where the primary reason for referral was recorded as bipolar disorder was 20,201 in 2021/22 and 19,805 in 2022/23. Additionally, data for 2022/23 were impacted by a cyber incident, which meant that some providers were unable to submit data and the number of referrals may be underreported.

Hearing Impairment: Children

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that non-hearing children are able to access auditory verbal approach therapy where it is deemed that they would benefit from it.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to train up to 300 therapists to specialise in the auditory verbal approach for non-hearing children.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the estimate of Auditory Verbal UK's estimate that £2 million funding over 10 years would strengthen services for deaf children, if he will have discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of allocating funding for that purpose.

Maria Caulfield: Audiology services are locally commissioned and responsibility for meeting the needs of non-hearing children lies with local National Health Service commissioners.‘Commissioning Services for People with Hearing Loss: A Framework for Clinical Commissioning Groups’ was published in July 2016. This framework supports clinical commissioning groups, and now integrated care boards, to make informed decisions about what is good value for the populations they serve and to provide more consistent, high quality, integrated care. It also addresses inequalities in access and outcomes between hearing services.There are currently no plans to assess the accessibility of Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) for non-hearing children. There are also no discussions planned between the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of allocating funding for AVT, or to provide specific investment in training AV therapists. However, we recognise the need to improve access to therapies generally. Since September 2020, all eligible nursing, midwifery, and allied health profession students have received a non-repayable training grant of a minimum of £5,000 per academic year. Additional funding is also available for studying certain courses, for example, Mental Health Nursing and Learning Disabilities Nursing, with further financial support available to students for childcare, dual accommodation costs and travel.

Endometriosis: Medical Treatments

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of treatment provision for people with endometriosis.

Maria Caulfield: No specific assessment has been made. Menstrual health and gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis, is a priority in the Women’s Health Strategy. We are investing £25 million in women’s health hubs, so that women can get better access to care for menstrual problems, including women with suspected or diagnosed endometriosis.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is in the process of updating its recommendations on diagnosing endometriosis and surgical management of endometriosis if fertility is a priority. NICE will provide information on the expected publication date of its final guidance in due course.Additionally, NHS England is updating the service specification for severe endometriosis, which defines the expected standards of care. This update will ensure that specialist endometriosis services have access to the most up-to-date evidence and advice and will improve standards of care for women with severe endometriosis.

Coronavirus: Screening

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government's figures on covid-19 cases in the UK, whether that figure includes results from all types of covid-19 testing kits.

Maria Caulfield: The ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the UK’ dashboard provides a summary of key information about the pandemic. This includes levels of infections, the impact on health in the United Kingdom and on measures taken to respond. The UK Health Security Agency also publishes the National Influenza and COVID-19 Report which includes the number of episodes of infection and test positivity over time.Case numbers include results from Pillar 1 (polymerase chain reaction) testing, which represents tests undertaken for healthcare purposes and in public health laboratories. They also include results from people who have reported a positive lateral flow test from the National Health Service on GOV.UK. Lateral flow tests that are privately purchased cannot currently be registered on GOV.UKChanges to testing policies over time affect surveillance data. Fewer tests being performed, and tests limited to certain settings, would need to be considered when interpreting surveillance data. Nonetheless, surveillance metrics based on current testing continue to provide useful indicators of recent trends and disease acuity.

NHS: Complaints

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to ensure that interventions are made as early as possible to resolve patient and staff complaints within the NHS.

Maria Caulfield: The Department has worked closely with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman on his work to develop the NHS Complaint Standards, which set out how organisations providing services in the National Health Service should approach complaint handling. The Standards place a strong focus on early resolution, supported by detailed guidance and good practice on how to resolve complaints early and effectively.Similarly, in relation to staff, the national Freedom to Speak Up Policy for the NHS highlights, amongst other things, the importance of a culture in which challenges are raised and resolved quickly. NHS organisations have been asked to ensure that they adopt the national Freedom to Speak Up Policy by 31 January 2024.

NHS: Standards

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to promote a culture of listening and learning in the NHS.

Maria Caulfield: Over the last decade the Government has introduced significant measures to support the National Health Service to listen and learn. These include: establishing the Health Services Safety Investigations Body as a new arm’s-length body to conduct independent, expert-led national safety investigations; appointing the first Patient Safety Commissioner to champion patient voice in relation to the safety of medicines and medical devices; and implementing the first NHS Patient Safety Strategy with substantial programmes designed to create a positive learning culture and a widespread focus on reducing avoidable harm and improving safety.

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of NHS cases received by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Maria Caulfield: The Department has worked closely with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman on his work to develop the NHS Complaint Standards, which set out how organisations providing services in the National Health Service should approach complaint handling. The Standards place a strong focus on several aspects of complaint handling that are aimed at ensuring complaints are handled and resolved effectively by the NHS, reducing the need for further escalation of complaints. This includes emphasising the importance of early resolution, actively listening and demonstrating a clear understanding of what the main issues are for the complainant and the outcomes they seek, being thorough and fair, and identifying suitable ways to put things right for people.

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to review the work of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Maria Caulfield: Ministers do not review any aspect of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s (PHSO) performance. The PHSO reports to Parliament directly and is held to account through the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, which, although unable to adjudicate on individual cases, holds an annual scrutiny session to evaluate the PHSO's performance.

Air Pollution: Monitoring

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Royal Society of Chemistry on the assessment and monitoring of indoor air quality.

Maria Caulfield: We have had no such discussions. There is ongoing collaborative work across Government on both indoor and outdoor air quality.

Bereavement Counselling

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on helping ensure all NHS England trusts provide bereavement services seven days a week by the end of 2023-24.

Maria Caulfield: In 2023/24, NHS England is investing £5.9 million to support the delivery of daily bereavement care services for women and families who suffer pregnancy/baby loss and growing the number of staff trained in bereavement care.The commitment to ensure availability of bereavement services seven days a week by the end of 2023/24 is part of NHS England’s three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services. National Health Service trusts are working to ensure appropriate services are available on a daily basis, in line with the essential actions outlined in the Ockenden review. NHS England has also included training for staff who encounter bereaved parents in our national core competency framework, which sets out the minimum expected training for all maternity units.

Childbirth: Death and Injuries

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) stillbirths, (b) neonatal deaths, (c) maternal deaths and (d) brain injuries in babies occurring soon after birth there have been in each year since 2010.

Maria Caulfield: The below tables contain data for the four metrics requested from 2010 up until the most recent year available. The metrics relate to England only, except for maternal deaths which covers the United Kingdom. The metrics are used to monitor the Government’s National Maternity Safety Ambition which aims to halve rates of stillbirth, neonatal and maternal deaths and brain injuries by 2025 from their 2010 baseline. The ambition also aims to reduce the pre-term birth rate from 8% to 6% by 2025. The following table shows the number of stillbirths in England since 2010:  YearNumberRate per 1,000 total births20103,5065.120113,6195.220123,3574.820133,1034.620143,0474.620152,9524.420162,8954.320172,6794.120182,5204.020192,3463.820202,2313.820212,4514.120222,2763.9 Source: Office for National Statistics, Births in England and WalesNote: The definition of stillbirth used is a baby born after 24 or more weeks completed gestation and which did not, at any time, breathe or show signs of life.  The following table shows the number of babies with a brain injury occurring during or soon after birth in England since 2010:  YearNumberRate per 1,000 live births20102,5944.320112,9064.420122,9504.220132,9664.520143,0974.720153,0554.620163,0744.620172,9474.620182,8724.620192,5914.2 Source: Brain injury occurring during or soon after birth: annual incidence and rates of brain injuries to monitor progress against the national maternity ambition, 2018 and 2019 national data (Imperial College London).Notes:To account for incomplete Brain Injuries data in 2010 and 2011, brain injury numbers and rates for these two years were estimated.Definition used: "Babies admitted to a neonatal unit in England, receiving at least one episode of care for a brain injury occurring during or soon after birth."  The following table shows the number of neonatal deaths in England since 2010: YearNumberRate per 1,000 total births20101,3292.020111,3442.020121,2691.820131,1541.720141,0751.620151,0781.620161,0591.620171,0301.620189471.520198441.420207331.320218121.4 Source: ‘All data related to Child and infant mortality in England and Wales: 2021’, Office for National Statistics.Note: Definition used: “A neonatal death is the death of an infant under 28 days for babies born at a gestational age of 24 weeks or over.” The following table shows the number of maternal deaths in England since 2009:YearsNumberRate per 100,000 maternities2009-1125310.62010-1224310.12011-1321492012-142008.52013-152028.82014-162259.82015-172099.22016-182179.72017-191918.82018-2022910.92019-2124111.6 Source: “Lessons learned to inform maternity care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2019-21”, MBRRACE-UKNotes:Definition used: “A maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and the site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes.”Due to the small number of maternal deaths, rates are published in three-year periods.

Prisoners: Huntington's Disease

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of prison inmates who have Huntington's disease.

Maria Caulfield: The data requested is not held centrally.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Simon Lightwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to improve the way referrals are made by schools to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, in the context of Coroner Abigail Combes' prevention of future deaths report in September 2023.

Maria Caulfield: The Department is committed to improving the way referrals are made by schools to child and adolescent mental health services, through the work of mental health support teams, enhancing join up between schools and mental health services. There are now almost 400 mental health support teams in place across England, covering over three million children or around 35% of pupils in schools and colleges. We are aiming to increase this coverage to 50% by April 2025.We are progressing work with NHS England and stakeholders to increase access to children and young people’s mental health services as outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan. The National Health Service is working towards implementing a new waiting time standard for children, young people and their families/carers presenting to community-based mental health services to start to receive care within four weeks from referral.

Cabinet Office

UK Statistics Authority: Recruitment

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have been hired by the UK Statistics Authority in roles relating to equality, diversity and inclusion since 2020.

Jeremy Quin: On 2 October, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a value for money audit of all EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) spending in the Civil Service.The audit will dovetail with the public sector productivity review, aiming at delivering a leaner, more efficient government. The audit forms part of our drive to improve productivity across the public sector by driving down waste and improving performance.The findings and actions of the audit will be announced in due course.

Cybercrime: Insurance

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department is taking steps with the insurance industry to help build resilience to large-scale cyber attacks.

Alex Burghart: Good cyber security is a first line of defence which protects industry, end users and the insurance industry alike from cyber attacks. The Government’s approach to driving up resilience through the National Cyber Strategy includes working with market influencers, including insurers, to incentivise good cyber security practices across the economy. The Government regularly engages with the insurance industry to consider how it can best support the growth of the cyber insurance market and help build wider economic resilience to cyber attacks.

Mitie: Contracts

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the retendering of Facilities Management contracts in the Mitie Affiliate Cluster, what steps he has taken to ensure continuity of payment of (a) pay and (b) in-work benefits.

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the retendering of Facilities Management contracts in the Mitie Affiliate Cluster, what steps he has taken to ensure that the Government Property Agency complies with its public sector equality duty to evaluate the potential impact of the proposed changes to the (a) terms and conditions and (b) general working arrangements on staff with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the retendering of Facilities Management contracts in the Mitie Affiliate Cluster, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of TUPE transfer provisions for (a) corporately employed and (b) privately contracted staff.

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the retendering of Facilities Management contracts in the Mitie Affiliate Cluster, what recent meetings he has held with (a) the Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service, (b) the Chief Executive of the Government Property Agency and (c) civil service trade unions.

Alex Burghart: Employment Terms and Conditions are a matter for Employers and their Employees. However, the Government Property Agency (GPA) has supported the employee representatives, notably the PCS Trade Union, in discussions with the GPA's new suppliers. All suppliers have listened to the concerns expressed by the PCS trade union and have provided both assurance and solutions to ensure that any affected member of staff is not directly or indirectly affected by the change of their employer. This includes financial assistance via ex gratia payments and interest-free loans and advice and support to mitigate against issues surrounding the claiming of "in work" benefits. The GPA is committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination. Throughout the workplace services transformation programme the GPA has continued to give PSED due consideration and will continue the completion of the impact assessment following the recent award of contracts. This will be shared with trade unions upon completion. The successful bidders have been tested for this requirement at Framework creation stage and will be required to demonstrate ongoing compliance with the Equalities Act 2010 and the GPA’s aspirations during delivery of the contract. Whilst the GPA has an active interest in the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) transfer of supplier employees, TUPE transfers are a matter for both the outgoing and incoming contractors and both the outgoing and incoming suppliers are experienced in this area. The employee rights are set out by the TUPE regulations and reinforced in the Crown Commercial Services framework which this contract is let on. The Government Property Agency will act upon any breach of this legislation if it occurs and holds its supply chain to the legislative requirements. The GPA continues to encourage both their current and their new suppliers to exchange information quickly to enable consultations to be effective and to resolve queries quickly where they arise.

Cabinet Office: Civil Servants

Mr Ben Wallace: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many FTE civil servants have been employed by his Department in each year since 2015.

Jeremy Quin: Please see the Government Annual Civil Service Statistics published online to show how many FTE civil servants have been employed by the Cabinet Office. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-service-statistics From 2015 to present day the Cabinet Office has grown to absorb a number of other functions. For example, the whole of the Civil Service Fast Stream headcount now sits in the Cabinet Office although the large majority do not work in the Cabinet Office. The establishment of a Government Digital Service, Government Recruitment Service and functional specialities like the Government Commercial Function have all resulted in an increase to the number of FTE employed by Cabinet Office although value and efficiencies are delivered across the Civil Service. The Cabinet Office is committed to driving efficiencies as directed by the Chancellor.

Government Departments: Security

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department is taking steps to detect bugs planted by hostile states on the Government estate.

Jeremy Quin: As has been the case under successive administrations, it is Government policy not to comment on security procedures on the Government estate. However, the Cabinet Office plays a supporting role through the Government Security Group, which sets the security standards to which Departments are expected to adhere.

Department for Education

Childcare: Staff

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Government's planned expansion of subsidised childcare announced in March 2023, what estimate she has made of the additional number of staff required as a result of that expansion by (a) April 2024, (b) September 2024 and (c) September 2025.

David Johnston: The department knows that to deliver the expanded early years entitlements, the sector will require additional staff. The phased implementation of the free hours offers will allow the market to develop the necessary capacity. The department continues to monitor sufficiency of childcare provision, including recruitment challenges, through our regular conversations with local authorities, and we are implementing a range of interventions to support the increase required.In early 2024 we will launch a new, national, multi-channel broadcast recruitment campaign to boost interest in the sector and support the recruitment of talented staff. Alongside this, the department will consider how to introduce new accelerated apprenticeship and degree apprenticeship routes so everyone from junior staff to senior leaders can easily move into a career in the sector.The department is also committed to delivering flexibility for providers to help them meet the ambition of the Spring Budget investment and has carried out a consultation on a package of possible flexibilities that could be introduced to the early years foundation stage framework.

STEM Subjects: Higher Education

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help encourage entrepreneurship amongst STEM higher education students.

Robert Halfon: The government has established a supportive framework to empower universities in equipping students with the essential skills required for success.The department is investing in STEM education at all levels to ensure people have access to high-quality STEM teaching and can access STEM career opportunities We are investing around £750 million of additional funding over the three-year period from 2022/23 to 2024/25 in high-quality teaching and facilities, including in science and engineering, in subjects that support the NHS, and in degree apprenticeships. This includes the largest increase in government funding for the higher education (HE) sector in over a decade and will support students and teaching.The National Careers Service also provides free, up to date, impartial information, advice, and guidance on careers, skills, and the Labour Market in England. The service provides support to individuals studying STEM subjects in HE, relating to entrepreneurship and helps industry sectors, including STEM sectors, to disseminate key information and updates to ensure careers advisers in the community are up to date with the latest information when supporting customers.The HE Business and Community Interaction (HE-BCI) survey showed that the number of graduate start-ups increased by 5% (from 4,528 in 2020/21 to 4,735 in 2021/22), the highest annual figure in the survey's history[1].[1] Chart 1 - Spin-offs and start-up companies 2014/15 to 2021/22 | HESA

Schools: Finance

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the letter from Susan Acland-Hood to the Chair of the Education Select Committee on National Funding Formula Update, published on 6 October 2023, whether she plans to publish the findings of her Department's internal review into the miscalculation in the total amount of funding allocated to schools for the 2024-25 financial year.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the letter from Susan Acland-Hood to the Chair of the Education Select Committee on National Funding Formula Update, published on 6 October 2023, for what reason did she not announce an external review into the miscalculation in the total amount of funding allocated to schools for the 2024-25 financial year.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the letter from Susan Acland-Hood to the Chair of the Education Select Committee on National Funding Formula Update, published on 6 October 2023, whether she will invite the Comptroller and Auditor General of the National Audit Office to review the miscalculation in the total amount of funding allocated to schools for the 2024-25 financial year.

Nick Gibb: The Permanent Secretary has taken full responsibility for the error made by officials and has written to both the Secretary of State and the Education Select Committee to apologise.The Secretary of State has asked the Department’s Permanent Secretary to conduct a formal review of the quality assurance process surrounding the calculation of the schools national funding formula (NFF) figures. Peter Wyman CBE, the chair of the board of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, will lead this process, and he will be supported in his work by an expert panel drawn from outside the Department. This is not an internal review; it will provide external and independent scrutiny. As such, the Department does not plan to also invite the National Audit Office to investigate the schools NFF calculation error. The findings and recommendations of the review will be made public.

Apprentices: Universities and Colleges Admissions Service

Mr Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of enabling the use of UCAS to (a) search and (b) apply for level (i) 6 and (ii) 7 apprenticeships on take-up of those courses; and if she will make a statement.

Robert Halfon: UCAS have recently expanded their service so students can easily see the different options open to them, including apprenticeships. Having apprenticeships showcased in this way boosts the profile of apprenticeships to school leavers and is a huge step forward in putting apprenticeships on an equal footing with traditional university degrees. Over 200 degree-level apprenticeship vacancies are currently being advertised on the UCAS website for people to consider. This month the Department, in partnership with UCAS, will launch a pilot that aims to test different ways to connect even more students to apprenticeship opportunities. The pilot will run in 3 regions throughout the 2023/24 academic year – Lancashire, the North East and Greater London – engaging employers and providing students with access to additional support designed specifically for those interested in exploring and applying for apprenticeships alongside their other options (including undergraduate courses). The pilot will be followed by an evaluation in October 2024, including an assessment of the impact of having apprenticeship vacancies listed on the UCAS student hub. In 2024, students will be able to apply for apprenticeships through UCAS alongside an undergraduate degree application. The assessment of the impact of this will then follow at a later date. We have seen year-on-year growth of degree-level apprenticeships with over 195,550 starts since their introduction in the 2014/15 academic year. To ensure that the supply of degree apprenticeship opportunities available meets demand, we are allocating an additional £40 million over the next two years, supporting degree apprenticeship providers to expand, on top of the £8 million investment in 2022/23.

Schools: Special Educational Needs

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what comparative assessment she has made of the potential merits of placing children with special educational needs and disabilities in a specialist (a) unit within a mainstream school and (b) school; and if she will make funding available for all schools to develop such a unit.

David Johnston: Local authorities are responsible for deciding on the educational placement of a child or young person with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan, following the statutory process set out in the Children and Families Act 2014. In January 2023 local authorities reported that they had placed 19,346 children and young people with EHC Plans in special educational needs (SEN) units and resourced provision, and 143,458 in maintained special schools. The department is providing local authorities with over £1.5 billion of High Needs Provision Capital Allocations for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years. This funding supports local authorities in delivering new places and improving existing provision for children and young people with SEN and disabilities or who require alternative provision, including by developing new SEN units and resourced provision. This funding forms part of our transformational investment of £2.6 billion in new high needs provision between 2022 and 2025, and is on top of our ongoing delivery of new special and alternative provision free schools.

Special Educational Needs: Health Services and Social Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of out of school provision of specialist support for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

David Johnston: Where children and young people have EHC Plans which specify the provision of services or support outside of term time, the local authority or the relevant health commissioner will be required to secure the provision. Additionally, through the Children and Families Act 2014, the department requires local authorities to work with schools and other partners to publish a ‘Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Local Offer’ outlining the support and services they expect to be available to children and young people in their area who have SEND, including those who do not have EHC Plans.This year, the government is again investing over £200 million in our Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, with all local authorities in England delivering in the Easter, Summer, and Christmas holidays. The department provides guidance to local authorities on designing provision for children with SEND and they must include the numbers of children with SEND or additional needs who have participated in their programme in their post-provision reporting to us. We encourage local authorities to use their own discretion and use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of benefits-related Free School Meals, but who the local authority believe could benefit from the HAF provision.All local authorities have a duty to provide a range of short breaks for carers of disabled children, and must publish a statement about short breaks services in their area. In 2022, the department launched the Short Breaks Innovation Fund, a £30 million fund to test novel approaches to short breaks.

Special Educational Needs

Mrs Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to publish strategic guidance on Regional Expert Partnerships engaging with local partners when refining proposals in the SEND Improvement plan.

David Johnston: Strategic guidance was issued to all 32 local authorities within the Change Programme Partnerships (CPPs) (formerly Regional Expert Partnerships) on 5 October 2023. The strategic guidance supports the set-up phase of the Change Programme. CPPs will be required to set up a CPP Steering Group which will have representation from all partners including school leaders, Parent Carer Forums, and health leads. Each local authority participating in the Change Programme will also establish a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Partnership and produce a local area inclusion plan. Both SEND and AP Partnerships and local area inclusion plans will be tested and refined through working with the local authorities in the CPPs.

Department for Education: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much their Department spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-2023 financial year.

Nick Gibb: On 2 October, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a value for money audit of all Equality, Diversity and Inclusion spending in the Civil Service. The audit forms part of the Government’s drive to improve productivity across the public sector by reducing waste and improving performance. The findings and actions of the audit will be announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn.

Assessments: Standards

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of providing funding for exam remarks for students on the pupil premium.

Nick Gibb: If a pupil has concerns about their exam results, they should talk to their school or college who can request that the exam board reviews the marking of their exam script.There may be a fee for a review of marking. Any fee paid to the awarding organisation will be refunded if a grade is changed following a review or appeal. It is for the school to decide whether they will pay for the review or whether the student should be charged for this service.Schools are entitled to use pupil premium funding to pay for a review of marking, if they think it is appropriate.Further information on how schools should use the pupil premium to raise the education attainment of disadvantaged pupils is set out in the government guidance here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1147853/Using_pupil_premium_guidance_for_school_leaders.pdf.

Electronic Cigarettes: Health Hazards

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has considered the potential merits of including in statutory guidance on relationships, sex and health education a requirement for pupils to be taught about the health risks associated with e-cigarettes and vapes.

Nick Gibb: On 1 June 2023, the Prime Minister announced an intervention which will take steps to prevent children obtaining e-cigarettes illegally. The Department is planning to include a specific reference to the dangers of e-cigarettes in the amended relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum.The RSHE statutory guidance, which sets out the curriculum topics, already states that in primary and secondary school, pupils should be taught the facts about legal and illegal harmful substances and associated risks. This includes smoking, alcohol use, and drug taking. To support schools to deliver this content effectively, the Department published a suite of teacher training modules, including drugs, alcohol and tobacco, which makes specific reference to e-cigarettes.In addition, drugs, alcohol and tobacco are taught in compulsory health education. This supplements drug education which is part of the National Curriculum for Key Stages 2 and 3 science.Schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy that sets out what is expected of all pupils, including what items are banned from school premises. This should be communicated to all pupils, parents and school staff.Schools have the autonomy to decide which items should be banned from their premises, and these can include e-cigarettes. Items banned by the school can be searched for as outlined in the department’s searching, screening and confiscation guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/searching-screening-and-confiscation.The Department believes that this will help head teachers to manage the use of e-cigarettes on school premises and to inform young people about the risks, with a view to reducing the numbers of pupils who are currently using e-cigarettes, or who might be tempted to try it in the future.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Digital Economy Council

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when the digital economy council last met.

Paul Scully: The Digital Economy Council (DEC) last met on the 18th of January 2023. This meeting addressed the department’s priorities for 2023 and sought feedback from members on the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill. Discussions were also held on the Patrick Vallance Regulatory Review. The DEC was also an important contributor to my department’s efforts to help facilitate HSBC’s purchase of Silicon Valley Bank UK earlier this year.  This department recognises the importance and value of engaging with the tech sector via the Digital Economy Council and other complementary fora. The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology also met with the Council for Science and Technology in March 2023; and I continue to co-chair the Digital Skills Council, working closely with industry.

Telephone Services

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate she has made of how many households are affected by the retirement of the public switched telephone Network; and what steps she is taking with telecommunications providers to support vulnerable people so affected.

Sir John Whittingdale: According to Ofcom’s latest figures, as of August 2023, more than 50% of the UK’s 30 million premises have already been moved from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The remaining phone lines will be moved by the telecoms industry in a phased migration between now and the end of 2025. Ofcom is responsible for ensuring telecoms providers adhere to their regulatory obligations throughout the migration process, which includes protecting vulnerable consumers. Ofcom has published guidance which states that providers must take steps to identify at-risk consumers who are dependent on their landline and provide them with additional support. Providers have a range of solutions to ensure vulnerable consumers receive additional support. These options include, for example: free battery back-up units; engineer supported installations; or hybrid landline phones. The Government is working together with Ofcom to ensure customers receive appropriate support and are protected throughout the migration. My Department meets regularly with Communications Providers to monitor their migration process, and to ensure adequate provisions are in place to protect vulnerable consumers. This includes, but is not limited to, quarterly progress meetings with individual providers, quarterly meetings with all government departments/agencies, and monthly meetings with Ofcom.

Ofcom: Recruitment

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many people have been hired by Ofcom in roles relating to equality, diversity and inclusion since 2020.

Sir John Whittingdale: Ofcom is an independent regulator with responsibility for its own recruitment. Since 2020 it has recruited three people in roles relating to equality, diversity and inclusion: one Associate D&I advisor, one Senior Associate D&I Programme Manager and one Head of Culture, Diversity and Wellbeing. These staff are focused on internal, corporate matters, and do not relate to any of Ofcom’s relevant regulatory duties, for example, to ensure diversity and inclusion in broadcasting. Ofcom’s diversity and inclusion strategy for 2021-26, as well as annual progress updates, can be found on their website.

Companies: Horizon 2020

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many UK companies took part in the Horizon 2020 programme; and how much funding was allocated to those companies as part of that programme.

George Freeman: The figures from the European Commission's Horizon 2020 Dashboard suggest that over 2,000 UK-based private-for-profit entities received almost €1.40 billion from Horizon 2020.

Companies: Horizon Europe

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what information her Department holds on the budget allocated to UK firms participating in Horizon Europe.

George Freeman: On 7th September the Prime Minister announced a new UK- EU agreement on the UK’s association to Horizon Europe from 2024. This means UK businesses and researchers can participate confidently in the world’s largest programme of research cooperation. In addition, support for businesses and researchers continues to be available via the Horizon Europe guarantee which covers all remaining Horizon grant calls up to and including work programme 2023. As of 30 September 2023, the Guarantee has issued 2,654 Grants worth £1.395 billion. Further detail on UK participation can be found at UKRI’s Gateway to research website.

Business: Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the granularity of data provided by the Office for National Statistics’ Business enterprise research and development, UK release.

George Freeman: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is an independent body. Its most recent release on business enterprise research and development (BERD) was part of an on-going programme of work to improve economic statistics and data capture. The ONS figures provided the best estimate of R&D expenditure at the total UK level which had been validated against other available data. However, there was less data for validation and increased uncertainty in the estimates below the total BERD figures. The Government looks forward to further improvements from the ONS in how the statistics are compiled in future releases, including granular data on products and sectors.

Business: Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Office for National Statistics’ aggregation of pharmaceutical and chemical sector research and development expenditure in its Business, enterprise research and development, UK statistical release on the usefulness of that data for understanding the science investment landscape.

George Freeman: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is an independent body. The recent release of the business enterprise research and development (BERD) statistics was part of an ongoing initiative to enhance economic statistics and data collection, which is still underway. This publication provided the most reliable assessment of R&D spending at the UK level, verified against available data. Given the importance of accurate disaggregated figures, the Government will continue to liaise with ONS as they compile BERD statistics in future releases, including more detailed information on particular products and sectors.

Government Office for Science: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much the Government Office for Science spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

George Freeman: On 2 October, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a value for money audit of all EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) spending in the Civil Service. The audit will dovetail with the public sector productivity review, aiming at delivering a leaner, more efficient government. The audit forms part of our drive to improve productivity across the public sector by driving down waste and improving performance. The findings and actions of the audit will be announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much their Department spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-2023 financial year.

George Freeman: On 2 October, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a value for money audit of all EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) spending in the Civil Service. The audit will dovetail with the public sector productivity review, aiming at delivering a leaner, more efficient government. The audit forms part of our drive to improve productivity across the public sector by driving down waste and improving performance. The findings and actions of the audit will be announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn.

Met Office: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much the Met Office spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

George Freeman: On 2 October, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a value for money audit of all EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) spending in the Civil Service. The audit will dovetail with the public sector productivity review, aiming at delivering a leaner, more efficient government. The audit forms part of our drive to improve productivity across the public sector by driving down waste and improving performance. The findings and actions of the audit will be announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn.

Ordnance Survey: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much the Ordnance Survey spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

George Freeman: On 2 October, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a value for money audit of all EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) spending in the Civil Service. The audit will dovetail with the public sector productivity review, aiming at delivering a leaner, more efficient government. The audit forms part of our drive to improve productivity across the public sector by driving down waste and improving performance. The findings and actions of the audit will be announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn.

National Physical Laboratory: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much the National Physical Laboratory spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

George Freeman: On 2 October, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a value for money audit of all EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) spending in the Civil Service. The audit will dovetail with the public sector productivity review, aiming at delivering a leaner, more efficient government. The audit forms part of our drive to improve productivity across the public sector by driving down waste and improving performance.The findings and actions of the audit will be announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn.

UK Research and Innovation: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much UK Research and Innovation spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

George Freeman: On 2 October, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a value for money audit of all EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) spending in the Civil Service. The audit will dovetail with the public sector productivity review, aiming at delivering a leaner, more efficient government. The audit forms part of our drive to improve productivity across the public sector by driving down waste and improving performance. The findings and actions of the audit will be announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn.

UK Space Agency: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much the UK Space Agency spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

George Freeman: On 2 October, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a value for money audit of all EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) spending in the Civil Service.The audit will dovetail with the public sector productivity review, aiming at delivering a leaner, more efficient government. The audit forms part of our drive to improve productivity across the public sector by driving down waste and improving performance. The findings and actions of the audit will be announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn.

Advanced Research and Invention Agency: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much the Advanced Research and Invention Agency spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

George Freeman: On 2 October, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a value for money audit of all EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) spending in the Civil Service. The audit will dovetail with the public sector productivity review, aiming at delivering a leaner, more efficient government. The audit forms part of our drive to improve productivity across the public sector by driving down waste and improving performance. The findings and actions of the audit will be announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn.

Women and Equalities

Equality Act 2010: Sex

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the Westminster Hall debate of 12 June 2023 on Legislative Definition of Sex, what progress her Department has made on its policy on clarifying the definition of sex in the Equality Act 2010.

Stuart Andrew: The Minister for Women and Equalities sought advice from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on the benefits or otherwise of an amendment to the Equality Act 2010 on the current definition of 'sex'.Having received that advice, the Minister for Women and Equalities has asked officials to undertake detailed policy and legal analysis, as per the EHRC’s request, to understand the impact of its advice on various protected groups and related issues arising.

Department for Transport

Bus Services: Timetables

Sir Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to take steps to regulate the frequency of bus services.

Mr Richard Holden: The Government recognises that frequent bus services are vital and has invested to protect them. How frequently bus services operate is a local decision and the responsibility of bus operators and Local Transport Authorities. While Enhanced Partnerships can place upper limits on frequencies, LTAs can subsidise frequency increases above the service levels provided commercially to meet local need. Since 2020, we have invested over £3.5 billion in buses, including a recently announced further £300 million to protect and enhance services from July 2023 to April 2025. Following the redirection of HS2 funding, on 23 October the government announced over £250 million will be allocated to local authorities in the Midlands to improve bus services.

Transport: Greater Manchester

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 5 of the command paper, Network North, Transforming British Transport, CP 946, published by his Department in October 2023, if he will publish a breakdown of the £12 billion spending that will be allocated to better connect Manchester with Liverpool.

Huw Merriman: The £12 billion will allow the delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail, as previously planned, between Manchester and Liverpool. We will work with local leaders, including regional mayors, to ensure that delivery reflects the needs of local people.

Railway Stations: Musical Instruments

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will hold discussions with (a) Network Rail and (b) train operators to help support the use of public pianos within railway stations.

Huw Merriman: Where stations are owned by Train Operating Companies, the installation of public pianos are a matter for the operator. Network Rail is supportive of the use of pianos at its stations, subject to any local safety and security issues being addressed and ultimately signed off by their station teams.

Great Western Main Line

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with Great Western Railway on the potential impact of cancellations to night riviera services during engineering works on passenger revenues.

Huw Merriman: Department officials have regular conversations with Great Western Railway about passenger revenues. In this case, to lessen the impact on passenger revenues, Network Rail has agreed to do this work in a series of eight-hour possessions over four-nights a week instead of closing the railway for longer periods through a complete blockade. This reduces the impact of the engineering works on passenger revenues, but unfortunately will impact on the operation of the night riviera services and associated revenues. Resignalling in Devon and Cornwall will improve reliability and offer options for improved timetables in the future.

Railways: Greater Manchester

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 18 of the command paper, Network North, Transforming British Transport, CP 946, published by his Department in October 2023 Network North, what estimate he has made of the cost of (a) the Handsacre link, (b) signalling and network upgrades and (c) other work required to enable high speed trains join the conventional rail network to Manchester.

Huw Merriman: The Department is working with HS2 Ltd and its supply chain to understand and assess the cost implications to enable high speed trains to join the conventional rail network to Manchester. As part of Network North, we committed to additional investment in the upgrade of Handsacre Junction which will see the journey time between London and Manchester reduced by half an hour.

High Speed 2 Line

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding was allocated to Phase (a) 2a and (b) 2b of the HS2 project in (i) 2024-25, (ii) 2025-26, (iii) 2026-27, (iv) 2027-28, (v) 2028-29 and (vi) 2029-30 before 4 October 2023.

Huw Merriman: As set out in the Command Paper to Parliament: Network North – Transforming British Transport, the decision to cancel HS2 Phases 2a and 2b will free up £36 billion in savings. This is money that this Government will reinvest, in full, into projects which will benefit towns, cities and rural areas across the United Kingdom.

Railways: Penzance

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of Great Western Railway night riviera sleeper services (a) were and (b) are expected to be cancelled as a result of planned engineering works between September and November 2023.

Huw Merriman: From September to November 2023, the Night Riviera was scheduled to run 156 times (2 journeys a day, 6 days a week):58 of these journeys have been cancelled in full because of the re-signalling works – this is 37% of journeys. 24 journeys will start/terminate at Plymouth instead of Penzance – this is 15% of journeys. 8 have been cancelled because of ASLEF action short of a strike – this is 5% of journeys.  66 services are planned to run as normal, primarily on Fridays and Sundays – this is 42% of services. Rounding of % means the above add to 99% not 100%.

Railways: Carbon Emissions

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of expanding sleeper services on carbon emissions from (a) cars and (b) domestic flights.

Huw Merriman: The Department has not carried out a recent assessment of the potential impact of expanding sleeper services on carbon emissions from cars and domestic flights. As the pandemic has changed travel habits, train operators are using this opportunity to reassess their services to ensure they provide rail timetables that meet new passenger travel patterns, are fit for the future, and carefully balance cost, capacity and performance.  This is about ensuring we have an efficient rail service that meets the travel patterns as they are now and forecast to be, recognising rail's contribution to low carbon travel. The Government is continuing to invest in the railways to make them greener.

High Speed 2 Line

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an estimate of the potential economic costs of the decision not to proceed with Phase 2B of HS2.

Huw Merriman: The Department is working with HS2 Ltd and its supply chain to establish the cost implications of the decision not to build Phase 2. The economic benefit cost ratio (BCR) of the decision to proceed with building just Phase One (London-Birmingham) of HS2 was set out in the Accounting Officer Assessment published in October 2023.Every penny of the £36bn that would have been spent extending HS2 will be reinvested into local infrastructure and transport schemes across the country, including £19.8bn on projects across the North. This investment will support thousands of new jobs on top of the thousands already supported by the construction of HS2 from London to Birmingham.

High Speed 2 Line: Legal Costs

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the amount of legal fees owed by the Government following the decision not to proceed with Phase 2B of HS2.

Huw Merriman: No assessment of potential legal fee costs to Government from not proceeding with Phase 2b of HS2 has yet been made.

East West Rail Line

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the changes to the HS2 project on East West Rail.

Huw Merriman: East West Rail (EWR) Connection Stage 1 (providing services between Oxford-Bletchley and Milton Keynes) is in construction and is due to enter into service by 2025. The East West Rail Alliance continues to work closely with HS2 Ltd to ensure the interfaces between the schemes are well understood and any shared risks mitigated. EWR Connection Stages 2/3 are in development and will be subject to statutory consultation and DCO application. No change has been made to the programme as a result of the Network North announcement.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that electric vehicle charging infrastructure can also be used by (a) e-bikes and (b) e-scooters.

Jesse Norman: The Government encourages industry innovation in charging infrastructure. However, it has no plans to request that electric vehicle chargepoint operators adapt their infrastructure to allow e-scooters and e-bikes access.

Driving Licences: Reciprocal Arrangements

James Daly: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with which (a) foreign countries and (b) administrative regions of foreign countries that issue their own driving licences his Department has an agreement for mutual recognition of documents; and whether his Department is taking steps to reach such agreement with other countries and regions.

Mr Richard Holden: The UK continues to exchange and recognise licences originating from all European Economic Area (EEA) countries. Arrangements are in place with all EEA countries for the recognition and exchange of the vast majority of GB licences. Outside of the EEA, mutual driving licence exchange agreements are in place with the following designated countries: AndorraGibraltarSouth AfricaAustraliaHong KongSwitzerlandBarbadosJapanTaiwanBritish Virgin IslandsMonacoUkraineCanadaNew ZealandUnited Arab EmiratesCayman IslandsRepublic of KoreaZimbabweFalkland IslandsRepublic of North Macedonia Faroe IslandsSingapore  Work is currently progressing on arrangements with a further seven countries:AlbaniaMoldovaSri LankaKosovoSan Marino MalaysiaSerbia  I also recently met with an official delegation from Kenya to discuss existing arrangements with them as well.

Active Travel

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of local journeys that will be made by active travel in 2030; and on what evidential basis he has made this assessment.

Jesse Norman: The Government’s most recent assessment of this, including the evidential basis, was set out in the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy report to Parliament in July 2022, which is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cycling-and-walking-investment-strategy-report-to-parliament-2022. The Government’s latest walking and cycling statistics, published in August 2023, show that in 2022 the proportion of short local journeys made by active travel was 46 per cent in towns and cities.

Active Travel: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to increase (a) revenue and (b) capital funding for active travel.

Jesse Norman: This Government remains committed to the vision that by 2030 half of all journeys in towns and cities are walked or cycled. Over £3 billion is projected to be invested in active travel up to 2025 from a wide range of funding streams, despite the need for efficiency savings across Government due to global financial pressures. This includes at least £100 million of dedicated capital funding and £150 million of dedicated revenue funding between 2023-24 and 2024-25. Decisions on future funding will be made following a future Spending Review.

Transport for London: Finance

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has held recent discussions with the Mayor of London on the financial sustainability of Transport for London.

Mr Richard Holden: I met with the Deputy Mayor of London for Transport on 12 July 2023 to discuss Transport for London’s progress to financial sustainability, which they expect to reach by the end of the current financial year. The Department has regular engagement with Transport for London to monitor the terms of the current funding settlement.

Midland Metro

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had recent discussions with the West Midlands Combined Authority on their proposals to extend the Midlands Metro to the Borough of Solihull.

Mr Richard Holden: As part of Network North, the Government announced indicative funding allocations for the second round of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements covering 2027/28 - 2031/32. West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has an indicative allocation of £2.648 billion for this period, which includes an uplift worth over £1 billion. CRSTS provides eligible mayoral combined authorities with considerable opportunities to deliver transformative local transport projects based on local priorities. West Midlands Combined Authority could choose to use CRSTS funding for mass transit in East Birmingham and Solihull. The Department for Transport is in regular discussions with WMCA regarding delivery of their CRSTS programme.

Electric Vehicles

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to item 30 in his Department's policy paper entitled The plan for drivers, published on 2 October 2023, what steps he plans to take with industry to myth-bust concerns about electric vehicles.

Jesse Norman: As set out in the Plan for Drivers, the Government will continue to champion the transition to zero emission vehicles, by working with industry to address common misconceptions and show how EVs can be a practical option for most drivers. This will include active engagement with news and specialist industry outlets, providing up to date information in government publications and continued media monitoring to rebut false narratives and to highlight the benefits of electric vehicles.

Electric Vehicles

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the decision to move the ban on the sale of new diesel and petrol cars from 2030 to 2035 on (a) consumers and (b) investor confidence in electric vehicles.

Jesse Norman: The decision to delay the complete ban of the sale of on petrol and diesel cars comes alongside the publication of the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, which sets out one of the most ambitious pathways to zero emission vehicles of any major economy. Taken together, these represent a balanced decision, which allows people to choose to travel how they want, whilst giving investors’ confidence in our the Government’s future plans.

Transport: Safety

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to respond to each of his Department's open consultations relating to transport safety.

Jesse Norman: There are several consultations currently open that include safety considerations in some form. The Department aims to publish government responses to all consultations in a timely fashion, in line with Government Consultation Principles.

Hybrid Vehicles

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of hybrid vehicles in improving air quality.

Jesse Norman: Air pollution has reduced significantly since 2010. Emissions of nitrogen oxides have fallen by 45 per cent and fine particulate matter PM2.5 by 10 per cent. The same regulated air pollution standards apply to hybrid vehicles as to conventional vehicles. Hybrid vehicles may have lower exhaust emissions while operating in electric mode. However, there is limited evidence regarding the difference in total emissions from hybrid vehicles versus non-hybrid equivalents. The National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory provides public information on the latest emissions factors for road vehicles, which is available online at: https://naei.beis.gov.uk/data/ef-transport.

Driving: Young People

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has held discussions with the insurance industry on taking steps to help reduce motor insurance costs for young drivers in the context of increases in the cost of living.

Mr Richard Holden: My officials regularly liaise with representatives of the motor insurance industry and discuss issues as they arise. However, it is the responsibility of individual motor insurers to set their premiums and the terms and conditions of their policies, and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market. That said, analysis suggests that leaving the EU and removing the impacts of the Vnuk decision from UK law, is likely to have saved motorcar policyholders an increase of around £50 in their premiums. The Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules.

Cars: Insurance

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with representatives from car insurance providers on the potential impact of insurance premiums on the number of new drivers on the roads.

Mr Richard Holden: My officials regularly liaise with representatives of the motor insurance industry and discuss issues as they arise. However, it is the responsibility of individual motor insurers to set their premiums and the terms and conditions of their policies, and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market. That said, analysis suggests that leaving the EU and removing the impacts of the Vnuk decision from UK law, is likely to have saved motorcar policyholders an increase of around £50 in their premiums. The Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules.

Cars: Insurance

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of car insurance prices in the last 12 months.

Mr Richard Holden: The setting of motor insurance premiums is a commercial decision for individual insurers based on their underwriting experience. The government does not intervene or seek to control the market. That said, analysis suggests that leaving the EU and removing the impacts of the Vnuk decision from UK law, is likely to have saved motorcar policyholders an increase of around £50 in their premiums. The Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules.

Department for Transport: ICT

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to expenditure on Microsoft Word training published in DfT: spending over £500, October 2022, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of competency on Microsoft Word among officials in his Department.

Jesse Norman: The Department has made no specific assessment on this point.

Airports: Security

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the number of airside security passes issued for airports in each financial year from 2010-11 to 2022-23.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport puts in place regulations that set out the criteria a person must meet and what background checks must be carried out before an individual can be issued with an airside security pass. The Civil Aviation Authority monitors industry to ensure airports comply with these regulations. The Department for Transport does not keep a central record of how many of passes are issued.

Heathrow Airport: Air Routes

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 3 of Stakeholder Engagement Appendix G, Heathrow's Airspace Modernisation (FASI South) Stage 2 Gateway submission, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential ecological impact of diverting flight paths over Richmond Park.

Jesse Norman: The airspace modernisation programme is an important national infrastructure project that aims to deliver quicker, quieter and cleaner journeys for the benefit of those who use and are affected by UK airspace.All sponsors of airspace change must follow the Civil Aviation Authority's regulatory requirements as set out in airspace change process (CAP1616). CAP1616 requires sponsors to undertake comprehensive environmental assessments for airspace options that are under consideration. The requirements of CAP1616 can be scaled up or down depending on the nature and impacts of the airspace change proposal.Heathrow airport is currently at Stage 2 of the CAP1616 process. Heathrow needs to pass through the Stage 2 gateway before it can progress to Stage 3. It is at that stage that the sponsors of permanent airspace change proposals will undertake a full options appraisal before undertaking a formal public consultation with all interested stakeholders, including local communities.

Electric Vehicles: Bicycles

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of requiring electric bike users to (a) have a number plate and (b) be insured.

Jesse Norman: The Department considered issues including a mandatory registration and insurance system for cyclists as part of a cycling and walking safety review in 2018. The review concluded that restricting people’s ability to cycle in this way would mean that many would choose other modes of transport instead, with negative impacts for congestion, pollution and health.

Airports: Security

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information the Government holds on the number of breaches of airside security at airports in each calendar year between 2010 and 2023.

Jesse Norman: Airports and other regulated organisations are required to report all breaches of regulation and all incidents to the Department for Transport. This includes instances such as incorrect procedure being followed by airport staff, disruptive passengers, or unauthorised persons accessing secure areas. For security reasons the Department does not make details of these reports public.

Heathrow Airport: Night Flying

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential (a) likelihood of flight delays for over two hours at Heathrow Airport in December 2023 and (b) impact of flights delays on trends in the level of night flights to and from that airport; and whether he plans to take steps to ensure that that airport does not exceed its night flight restrictions.

Jesse Norman: Heathrow Airport operates in the private sector and is responsible for managing its own performance. It has its own specific target to reduce the number of nights with late-running operations. The Department will continue to work closely with Heathrow throughout the winter season to understand the plans it has in place to manage passenger demand. The Department also closely monitors night movements at Heathrow Airport to ensure compliance with night flight restrictions set by the Secretary of State.

Public Transport: Rural Areas

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps he has taken to (a) implement the Future of Transport Rural Strategy and (b) consult on reforming grant funding for bus operators.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department for Transport published its ‘Future of Transport: supporting rural transport innovation’ guidance in early October, and will now work to implement its pledges, such as working closer with local leadership to help deploy and scale innovative new technologies in rural communities. As part of this guide, the Department is making up to £3 million of funding available for rural innovation. This will help explore innovative solutions to long-standing issues, such as loneliness and isolation, poor access to services and economically challenging business cases for rural transport services. The Government committed to reforming the Bus Service Operator Grant (BSOG) in the National Bus Strategy and intends to publish a consultation later this year. The consultation will seek views from bus operators and local authorities on several measures to modernise and future-proof the BSOG. We intend to include proposals for distance-based payments that may help rural operators and simplify the administration of the grant. Our support for buses includes community transport too. We have just announced that the Government will continue to provide increased financial support to these community transport operators to help protect these key services by uplifting their bus service operator grant claims by 60%. This significant support will be available to operators for claims from 1 July 2023 to the end of March 2025.

Bus Services: Strangford

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland on funding for rural bus services in Strangford constituency.

Mr Richard Holden: Transport is a devolved matter, and the Department for Transport is responsible for bus transport only in England.

Bus Services: Newcastle upon Tyne

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress he has made with bus companies on ensuring that real-time bus information is available to passengers in Newcastle.

Mr Richard Holden: Since 7 January 2021, it has been legally required that operators of local bus services across England openly publish their live location data to the Bus Open Data Service. Currently 98% of vehicles are fitted with Automatic Vehicle Location devices. Third party application developers can access this open data online via the Find Bus Data Service for inclusion in journey planners and applications, helping passengers plan their journey on public transport via their mobile phone or computer. In the North East, application developers such as Google Maps, Bus Times, Transit and Citymapper have been able to launch their journey planning products which include bus times arrivals utilising data from the Bus Open Data Service and integrates it into multi-modal journey planners to enable passengers to plan their journeys on public transport.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Sir Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that the costs of charging electric vehicles in public places remain affordable.

Jesse Norman: The Government has recently laid regulations to improve the consumer experience across the public charging network. The regulations will ensure that pricing information is transparent, payment methods are simplified, charge points are reliable and public charge point data is freely available for consumers. Through these regulations, the Government will ensure that drivers can get value for money by comparing prices across different public charge points through a single format of pence per kilowatt hour, similar to pence per litre of fuel. Overall, in many cases electric vehicle drivers can benefit from savings on the cost of fuel compared to conventional combustion engines.

Motorcycles: Exhaust Emissions

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to extend the phase out dates for new non-zero emission (a) mopeds and (b) motorcycles.

Jesse Norman: The consultation on when to end the sale of new non-zero emission L-category vehicles (including mopeds and motorcycles) was open to written responses from 14 July to 21 September 2022 and supported by a thorough programme of stakeholder engagement with manufacturers and industry. The Department is now analysing the responses and will bring forward the Government’s response in due course.

Charging Points: Rural Areas

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that rural communities have access to electric vehicle charging points.

Jesse Norman: Earlier this month, the Government published ‘Future of Transport: helping local authorities to unlock the benefits of technology and innovation in rural transport’. The document details the support that the Government is providing to ensure that electric vehicle chargepoints are installed across the UK, including in rural communities. This support includes grants for homes and workplaces, support for local authorities through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund and the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, and supporting long distance journeys through the Rapid Charging Fund. In addition, the Government recently published its Plan for Drivers. The Plan sets out seven further actions that the Government is planning to take to support the transition to zero emission driving. This includes an intention to review the grid connections process for EV chargepoints, to consult on the expansion of street works permits to chargepoint operators, and to consult on the expansion of permitted development rights. The Government will continue to monitor market developments to determine whether any significant gaps in charging infrastructure provision emerge and will consider the case for further support if required.

Department for Transport: Training

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of remote terrain training of his Department's staff.

Jesse Norman: The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) provides remote terrain training to all its staff as part of its essential health and safety training to prepare it for operations at aircraft accidents in remote locations. The course is bespoke and designed specifically to address the mitigations of hazards that staff could experience when having to access and examine wreckage in remote locations including mountainous terrain, rivers and remote lowlands/wetlands as well as providing training on field first aid. The training provision is regularly reviewed using feedback from the course and experience from accidents sites which is then used to adapt the course and any refresher training which is also provided at suitable intervals.

Department for Transport: Official Cars

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department uses any chauffeur services other than the Government Car Service.

Jesse Norman: The Department does occasionally use taxi and non-GCS car services when GCS cars are not available.

Civil Aviation Authority: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much the Civil Aviation Authority spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Jesse Norman: The Civil Aviation Authority is not able to disaggregate fully the total amount spent on equality and diversity training in 2022-23. It has identified £8,350 in specific expenditure on equality and diversity training. Any additional spend that may have been made on such training during that period would be included in the aggregate Corporate Training budget, which covers a wide range of training activities and had a total spend of £239,364

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

France: Foreign Relations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to celebrate the120th anniversary of the signing of the Entente Cordiale.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has has held discussions with his French counterpart on celebrations of the 120th anniversary of the signing of the Entente Cordiale.

Leo Docherty: The 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale in 2024 will let us celebrate the breadth of the UK-France relationship. At the UK-France Summit in March 2023, the Prime Minister and President Macron underlined their determination to deepen ties, including on migration, defence, energy and culture. UK and French officials, and our respective militaries, are in contact about plans for this anniversary year, which will be communicated in due course.

Armenia: Community Relations

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the British Armenian community.

Leo Docherty: We regularly engage with diaspora groups representing a huge range of the diverse communities represented in the UK today. This includes the British-Armenian community, through groups such as the Armenian National Committee of the UK. We are also in regular contact with the Armenian government both through our Embassy in Armenia, and through regular ministerial calls.

Nagorno Karabakh: Armed Conflict

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government supports Armenia's (a) membership of the ICC and (b) request for an international investigation of alleged war crimes in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Leo Docherty: We welcome Armenia's accession to the International Criminal Court. We support the Court's aim to increase membership, helping to contribute toward universal justice for the most serious crimes of international concern. We respect the independence of the Court and the Office of the Prosecutor, and any decision to open an investigation is a matter for the Court.

Nagorno Karabakh: Armed Conflict

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an estimate of the number of (a) British citizens, (b) dual nationals and (c) family members of British citizens affected by Azerbaijan's military offensive in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Leo Docherty: The UK Government has not made an assessment of this nature. However, we are in regular contact with the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan and their Embassies in the UK, as well as through our Embassies in Armenia and Azerbaijan, and we use this dialogue to ensure we can provide the latest advice to those living or travelling in Armenia or Azerbaijan. We encourage all British nationals to consult our Travel Advice when considering whether to travel to regions affected by this conflict.

Nagorno Karabakh: Humanitarian Situation

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate on the report entitled Humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, which was held at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 12 October 2023.

Leo Docherty: The UK noted the debate held at the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe on the Humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and looks forward to the outcomes of the recent visit of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights to the region. We welcome the continued high levels of international engagement on these issues, the successful peaceful resolution of which are vital to the ongoing stability of the South Caucasus.

Kazakhstan: Sanctions

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of 3 February 2022 by the then Minister for the Middle East, North Africa and North America in the adjournment debate on Kazakhstan: Anti-corruption Sanctions, Official Report column 574, whether he plans he has to impose sanctions on (a) Timur Kulibayev, (b) Dinara Nazarbayeva, (c) Arvind Tiku, (d) Dariga Nazarbayeva, (e) Kairat Sharipbayev, (f) Nurali Aliyev, (g) Karim Massimov, (h) Aigul Nuriyeva, (i) Vladimir Kim, (j) Eduard Ogay, (k) Kenes Rakishev, (l) Sauat Mynbayev, (m) Alexander Mashkevich, (n) Patokh Chodiev, (o) Bulat Utemuratov, (p) Bolat Nazarbayev, (q) Akhmetzhan Yesimov, (r) Kairat Boranbayev, (s) Nuram Nigmatulin, (t) Baurzhan Baibek, (u) Marat Beketayev, (v) Alexander Klebanov, (w) Yakov Klebanov, (x) Kairat Satybaldy and (y) Samat Abish.

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral contribution of 3 February 2022 on Kazakhstan: Anti-corruption Sanctions, Official Report, column 574, whether he plans to impose sanctions on Bergey Ryskaliyev.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Illicit finance and corruption undermine our interests and values. The UK is fully committed to working with the Government of Kazakhstan to take actions needed to tackle corruption. We provided training last year to build the capacity and resilience of Kazakh financial institutions and we receive continued cooperation from the government on this issue.The UK Government does not comment on possible future sanction designations. To do so could reduce the impact of the designations.

Osman Kavala

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate on the report entitled Call for the immediate release of Osman Kavala, which was held at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 12 October 2023.

Leo Docherty: We recognise the significance of the award of the Václav Havel Prize to Osman Kavala and the subsequent PACE debate. The award and the overwhelming vote in favour of the release of Mr Kavala, highlight that Osman Kavala remains in prison despite two separate rulings by the European Court of Human Rights calling for his immediate release, a call that the UK has consistently joined. We will continue to work with Council of Europe Member States including Turkey, to find a solution to the situation.

Council of Europe: Conflict Prevention

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate on the report entitled The role of the Council of Europe in preventing conflicts, restoring credibility of international institutions and promoting global peace, which was held at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 12 October 2023.

Leo Docherty: The UK recognises the vital role the Council of Europe has played in preventing conflict within Europe and wider member states since it was founded in 1949 following World War II. The Council's recent work in establishing a Register of Damages caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine is a good example of how a regional organisation can react swiftly in response to situations of conflict. The work of the European Court of Human Rights and the Committee of Ministers plays an important role in securing rights and freedoms across Europe, including against the threats to democracy at our doorstep.

Russia: Politics and Government

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate on the report entitled, Examining the legitimacy and legality of the ad hominem term-limit waiver for the incumbent President of the Russian Federation, which was held at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 13 October 2023.

Leo Docherty: The UK values the work of the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe and our UK delegation in debating these important issues. Free and fair elections are the key to a functioning democracy, allowing citizens to choose how they are governed and by whom - democratic and open societies cannot flourish without them. The internal oppression carried out by the Russian Government fuels external aggression in Ukraine and elsewhere. We remain concerned about whether the 2018 Russian presidential election and the 2020 constitutional referendum were free and fair. The UK remains committed to holding Russia to account for its actions in Ukraine.

Afghanistan: Refugees

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much the Government has spent on housing Afghans in hotel accommodation in Pakistan since August 2021.

Leo Docherty: Between August 2021 and September 2023, the UK spent approximately £26.7 million accommodating Afghan nationals eligible for resettlement in the UK under the ARAP and ACRS schemes in hotels in Pakistan.

Afghanistan: Refugees

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Afghans are being housed in UK-funded hotel accommodation in Pakistan.

Leo Docherty: As of 18 October 2023, there are approximately 3,250 Afghans eligible for resettlement in the UK under the ARAP or ACRS schemes in UK funded hotel accommodation in Pakistan.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Afghans are in hotel accommodation in Pakistan that is funded by the UK Government as of 18 October 2023.

Leo Docherty: As of 18 October 2023, there are approximately 3,250 Afghans eligible for resettlement in the UK under the ARAP or ACRS schemes in UK funded hotel accommodation in Pakistan.

Afghanistan: Refugees

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he made of the implications for his policies of the debate on the report entitled The humanitarian crisis emerging for Afghanistan and Afghan refugees, which was held at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 13 October 2023.

Leo Docherty: The debate rightly shined a spotlight on the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and the need for international action. The UK continues to support the people of Afghanistan and coordinate with European and other partners. Afghanistan remains one of FCDO's largest bilateral aid programmes this financial year at £100 million. Since April 2021, the UK has disbursed over £593 million in aid to Afghanistan. This includes £17 million to support humanitarian organisations in Afghanistan's neighbouring countries. This has assisted Afghan migrants and asylum seekers moving across borders, and refugee and host communities in those countries. We continue to monitor the situation.

North Korea: BBC World Service

Mark Logan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support BBC World Service broadcasts into North Korea.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The FCDO strongly values the BBC World Service's role in bringing high-quality and impartial broadcasting to audiences in need, particularly where free speech is limited.The BBC has provided assurance that it will continue to serve audiences in countries lacking media freedom and a free press, such as North Korea. Through the World2020 programme, the FCDO provides support to the BBC Korean service which is aimed at audiences across the Korean Peninsula, including inside North Korea where access to international media sources is extremely limited.The UK is committed to media freedom, and to championing democracy and human rights around the world.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the international work undertaken by Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance; and what steps his Department is taking to help support their work.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted global health and immunisation. The UK Government is supporting efforts to get routine immunisation back on track and has committed £1.65 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance from 2021-2025 to support their mission to immunise 300 million children and save up to 8 million lives from vaccine preventable diseases over this period. The UK has supported Gavi since its inception in 2000, during which time Gavi has vaccinated more than 1 billion children in 78 lower-income countries, saving over 17 million lives. Alongside our Gavi investment, we are working with countries to build stronger primary health care systems as a core part of restoring immunisation services.

Gaza: Assets

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assets owned by the UK Government are in Gaza.

David Rutley: The British Information and Support Office in Gaza has a small amount of office equipment and furniture.

Indonesia: Homicide

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the alleged torture and killing of young people in West Papua by the Indonesian military; and if he will make a statement.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We regularly monitor the ongoing tensions in the Papua region and are aware of recent reports of violent incidents in Papua. FCDO officials maintain dialogue on a broad range of issues with the Indonesian Embassy in London, including on Papua. British Embassy Jakarta staff visited Papua in March 2022 and met officials, police, local businesses, human rights defenders, environmentalists, and religious leaders.

Development Aid

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the use of foreign aid within the UK.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: In May 2023, the Minister for Development and Africa and Chief Secretary to the Treasury met with Ministerial counterparts, including the Minister for Immigration from the Home Office, as part of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) Board to discuss ODA pressures and have a deep dive into in-donor refugee costs.

Developing Countries: Vaccination

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support global (a) immunisation and (b) vaccination efforts; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK Government has pledged £1.65 billion to Gavi, the Vaccines Alliance from 2021-2025 to support their mission to immunise 300 million children and save up to 8 million lives from vaccine-preventable diseases over this period. The UK has supported Gavi since its inception in 2000, during which time Gavi has vaccinated more than 1 billion children in 78 low-income countries, saving over 17 million lives. Alongside our Gavi investment, we are working with countries to build stronger primary health care systems to further bolster immunisation services.

Uganda: Terrorism

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implication for his policies of the attack on Lhubiriha secondary school in Uganda on 16 June 2023; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help secure the release of school pupils kidnapped by Allied Democratic Forces in Uganda in June 2023.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: I made a statement on 20 June, expressing condolences to the victims and their families and condemning this abhorrent attack in the strongest terms. The British High Commission remains in close contact with Ugandan security services, who continue to pursue the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

Disability: Women

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he had for her policies of the debate on the report entitled Preventing and combating violence against women with disabilities, which was held at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 11 October 2023.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK values the work of the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe as well as our UK delegation in debating these important issues. The UK reaffirms its commitment to preventing and responding to violence against women and girls in all their diversity and we welcome calls for the intensification of efforts to address this violence.The debate included reaffirming the commitments made to women and girls with disabilities outlined in the Istanbul Convention. As a ratifier of both the Istanbul Convention and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the UK is clear on our international commitments to upholding the rights of women and girls in all their diversity and preventing violence against them and prioritises this through policies and action at home and overseas.

Indonesia: Homicide

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Indonesian counterpart on the alleged killing of West Papuan civilians by the Indonesian military in August and September 2023.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We regularly monitor the ongoing tensions in the Papua region and are aware of recent reports of violent incidents in Papua. FCDO officials maintain dialogue on a broad range of issues with the Indonesian Embassy in London, including on Papua.

China: North Korea

Sir Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the reported forced repatriation of people from China back to North Korea; whether he has made an assessment of the potential risks to these people; whether he has made representations to his counterpart in China on this topic; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the compatibility of these reported forced repatriations with international law.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We are aware of reports that China is forcibly repatriating refugees to North Korea. The UK actively promotes the implementation of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention which asserts that a refugee should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom. We emphasise directly to the Chinese authorities that they should not be detaining and forcefully repatriating North Korean refugees. At the 17 August UN Security Council meeting on the human rights situation in the DPRK, the UK called on all states to abide by the principle of non-refoulement.

India: Violence

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what humanitarian assistance his Department is providing to people displaced by violence in Manipur.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Our diplomatic network in India closely follows reports of violence in the state of Manipur. The UK Government has a broad and deep partnership with the Government of India, and we discuss all elements of our relationship, including any humanitarian assistance. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, raised the current situation in Manipur with the Indian Government during his visit to India in May.

India: Development Aid

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much official development assistance has been provided to India to help (a) tackle climate change, (b) reduce carbon emissions and (c) achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in each of the last five years; and how much of that investment has been returned in each of the last five years.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK Government stopped providing traditional development aid to India in 2015. In the past five years we have provided £435 million of official development assistance, mostly in the form of investments, to India. We provided £95 million in 2018, £108 million in 2019, £95 million in 2020, £91 million in 2021, and £46 million in 2022. In the same period £63 million has been returned overall - £5 million in 2018, £9 million in 2019, £8 million in 2020, £16 million in 2021, and £25 million in 2022. Most of these investments support India's climate goals including reducing emissions, and all help achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

Question

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to strengthen diplomatic ties with India.

David Rutley: India is a hugely important partner for the UK. This year we have strengthened our long-standing diplomatic ties and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including through visits by the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, and other ministers, supporting India’s G20 Presidency and advancing bilateral priorities. These include our Free Trade Agreement negotiations and stronger defence, security and technology partnerships.

Question

Dame Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to strengthen the UK's relationship with Commonwealth countries.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is deeply committed to the Commonwealth. We provide significant bilateral aid to Commonwealth countries, totalling over £608 million in 2022. We continue to support a range of Commonwealth initiatives, as the largest donor to many Commonwealth inter-governmental organisations. Our focus is on increasing intra-Commonwealth trade & investment, building resilience to climate change and promoting our shared values.

Question

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on antimicrobial resistance awareness, prevention and education goals ahead of the UN General Assembly high-level meeting in September 2024.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: I attended and spoke at the UN General Assembly last month during which I discussed multiple global health challenges, including Antimicrobial Resistance, with my international counterparts.

Question

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the food security situation in East Africa.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The food security context across East Africa is perilous. More than 1 million people will benefit from UK-funded humanitarian programmes in East Africa this year with the UK providing £143 million to relief agencies.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Marine Protected Areas

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with non-governmental organisations on the British Indian Ocean Territory Marine Protected Area; and if he will make a statement.

David Rutley: The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Administration is responsible for the management of the Marine Protected Area.Officials have had discussions with several non-governmental organisations, including the Zoological Society of London, on the protection and conservation of the unique marine environment in Chagos Archipelago.

Syria: Development Aid

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the level of UK Official Development Assistance to Syria.

David Rutley: FCDO aid budget is allocated in accordance with UK strategic priorities against a challenging financial climate.There is a robust framework in place for allocating Official Development Assistance (ODA). In 2023, the UK committed up to £150 million at the Brussels Pledging Conference and up to £43 million to support the response to the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, raising our total commitment to over £3.8 billion.However, the situation's scale is immense, with Syria's overall aid requirements for 2023 only 29.44% funded. HMG encourages all international actors to do everything possible to ensure that sufficient aid reaches those in need.

Western Sahara: Human Rights

Richard Thomson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help prevent breaches of international humanitarian law in Western Sahara.

David Rutley: The UK is committed to the promotion of respect for International Humanitarian Law worldwide. With regard to Western Sahara, we strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, and welcomed his September 2023 visit to the region, including to Western Sahara, and we continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.

Israel: Palestinians

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department are taking to help expedite negotiations between Israel and Palestine on ending violence and promoting peace.

David Rutley: On 19 October, the Foreign Secretary travelled to the region where he met leaders in Egypt, Turkey and Qatar to help prevent the conflict spreading across the region and to seek a peaceful resolution. He will push for agreement on humanitarian access to Gaza, the release of British hostages and foreign nationals, and securing safe passage for British Nationals to leave Gaza. The Foreign Secretary also discussed the urgent need for the Rafah crossing to open so that lifesaving aid can reach those who need it and for Hamas to release the hostages. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon along with the Foreign Secretary attended Cairo Peace Summit on 21 October to address the international community on the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Since the Hamas attacks on 7 October, the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have spoken to counterparts from almost 20 countries as part of extensive diplomatic efforts to sustain the prospect of peace and stability in the Middle East.

Western Sahara: Human Rights

Richard Thomson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the human rights of the Saharawi people.

David Rutley: The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps. We have consistently supported language in relevant UN Security Council Resolutions that encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara, including the freedoms of expression and association. We strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, and welcomed his September 2023 visit to the region, including to Western Sahara, and we continue to engage key partners to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.

Western Sahara: Human Rights

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the human rights of the Saharawi people.

David Rutley: The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps. We have consistently supported language in relevant UN Security Council Resolutions that encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara, including the freedoms of expression and association. We strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, and welcomed his September 2023 visit to the region, including to Western Sahara, and we continue to engage key partners to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.

Western Sahara: Human Rights

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help prevent breaches of international humanitarian law in Western Sahara.

David Rutley: The UK is committed to the promotion of respect for International Humanitarian Law worldwide. With regard to Western Sahara, we strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, and welcomed his September 2023 visit to the region, including to Western Sahara, and we continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.

West Bank: Demolition

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the demolition of Palestinian homes in Masafer Yatta.

David Rutley: As I [Minister Rutley] said in the House of Commons on 18 July, the UK is clear that in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and evictions are contrary to international humanitarian law. Our opposition to the demolition of Palestinian property is long-standing. The practice causes unnecessary suffering and is harmful to efforts to promote peace. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon continues to reiterate this position to Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Israel's Ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely. On 13 September, the Foreign Secretary met Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh in Ramallah where he acknowledged apprehensions over continued Israeli settlement expansion, demolitions and evictions in the West Bank.

Western Sahara: Human Rights

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help prevent breaches of international humanitarian law in Western Sahara.

David Rutley: The UK is committed to the promotion of respect for International Humanitarian Law worldwide. With regard to Western Sahara, we strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, and welcomed his September 2023 visit to the region, including to Western Sahara and we continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.

Western Sahara: Self-determination of States

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support UN-led efforts to achieve a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution to the conflict in Western Sahara that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the conflict in Western Sahara on (a) the right to self-determination and (b) other human rights of people in the region.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to use soft power to promote dialogue and cooperation between the parties to the conflict in Western Sahara.

David Rutley: The UK supports UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. We strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, and welcomed his September 2023 visit to the region, including to Western Sahara. The UK welcomes the recent efforts of all concerned to engage with the Envoy and to facilitate his recent visits, and we will continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon discussed the importance of moving the process forward towards resolution with Morocco's Foreign Minister at the 4th UK-Morocco Strategic Dialogue on 9 May.

Syria: Demonstrations

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support for (a) victims of violence and (b) protesters in Suwayda.

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to provide support for (a) victims of the violence and (b) protesters in Suwayda in Syria.

David Rutley: The FCDO is following the protests in Suweida closely. The UK's permanent representative to the UN drew global attention to the protestors' cause in the UK's statement to the UN Security Council on 27 September. We condemned the regime's use of violence against peaceful demonstrators and demanded Damascus' adherence to international human rights standards. We will continue to monitor the situation and urge the regime to treat protestors with dignity respect. It is vital that Assad heed their calls for regime participation in the political process established by UNSCR 2254.

Syria: Development Aid

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of UK Official Development Assistance in Syria.

David Rutley: FCDO aid budget is allocated in accordance with UK strategic priorities against a challenging financial climate.There is a robust framework in place for allocating Official Development Assistance (ODA). In 2023, the UK committed up to £150 million at the Brussels Pledging Conference and up to £43 million to support the response to the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, raising our total commitment to over £3.8 billion.However, the situation's scale is immense, with Syria's overall aid requirements for 2023 only 29.44% funded. HMG encourages all international actors to do everything possible to ensure that sufficient aid reaches those in need.

Iran: Nuclear Fuels

Mark Logan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the level of uranium enrichment achieved by Iran.

David Rutley: On 4 September 2023, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran continues to accumulate enriched uranium at 5%, 20% and 60%. Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), Iran is permitted to enrich uranium up to 3.67%. Iran possesses almost three IAEA 'significant quantities' of high enriched uranium (HEU), which is almost three times the amount of HEU from which the IAEA cannot exclude the possibility of a nuclear device being manufactured. There is no credible civilian justification for Iran producing HEU. Iran's nuclear activities threaten international peace and security and undermine the global non-proliferation system. We remain determined that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon.

Palestinians: Christianity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department have taken to (a) support and (b) protect Christians in the (i) Gaza Strip and (ii) West Bank.

David Rutley: The UK is actively monitoring the conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and engaging closely with Israelis, Palestinians, and partners across the region. We are a strong supporter of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and call for places of worship to be respected. Israel must ensure those responsible for attacks on Christians are held to account. Israel has made clear its commitment to freedom of religion. We encourage the Israeli Government to do all it can to uphold the values of equality for all enshrined in its laws. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv and Consulate General in Jerusalem regularly raise issues of religious freedom with the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority. We continue to call on all sides to uphold the historic Status Quo in Jerusalem, recognising the custodianship of Jordan over the Holy sites. The Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu on 12 October, he reassured him that the UK will provide whatever support they need to end the current violence as quickly as possible.

Western Sahara: Human Rights

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the human rights of the Saharawi people.

David Rutley: The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps. We have consistently supported language in relevant UN Security Council Resolutions that encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara, including the freedoms of expression and association. We strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, and welcomed his September 2023 visit to the region, including to Western Sahara and we continue to engage key partners to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.

Israel: Palestinians

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help ensure Israel (a) acts in accordance with international law and (b) protects civilians from harm.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has held recent discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the compatibility of targeting civilian infrastructure with international law.

David Rutley: The UK is steadfast in its position that all states should uphold international humanitarian law, and we call on our friends and partners to do so. Israel has the right to defend itself proportionately, and its military operations must be conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law. Civilians must be respected and protected. Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have, in their discussions with their Israeli counterparts, emphasised the importance of taking all possible measures to protect innocent civilians. The President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, has stated that Israel will operate in accordance with international law. The Foreign Secretary and his ministerial team continue to receive legal advice on all matters related to foreign policy, including the situation in Israel and Gaza.

Israel: Human Rights

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government has made an assessment of Israel's compliance with international human rights law since 14 October 2023.

David Rutley: The UK is steadfast in its position that all states should uphold international humanitarian law, and we call on our friends and partners to do so. Israel has the right to defend itself proportionately, and its military operations must be conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law. Civilians must be respected and protected. Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have, in their discussions with their Israeli counterparts, emphasised the importance of taking all possible measures to protect innocent civilians. The President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, has stated that Israel will operate in accordance with international law. The Foreign Secretary and his ministerial team continue to receive legal advice on all matters related to foreign policy, including the unfolding situation in Israel and Gaza.

Libya: Development Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much financial aid the Government has provided to Libya in each of the last five years.

David Rutley: Financial aid from the UK to Libya for each of the last five years is as follows.For our Conflict, Stability, and Security Fund (CSSF): FY19/20 was £8,481,053 (Overseas Development Assistance) (ODA)) and £71,982 (Non-ODA); FY20/21 was £9,137,002 (ODA) and £10,140 (Non-ODA); FY21/22 was £5,776,716 (ODA); FY22/23 was £4,2013,523 (ODA); £6,249,470 (ODA) has been allocated to FY23/24.Bilateral aid: FY/18/19 was £1,974,333.50; FY19/20 was £1,010,076.05; FY20/21 was £1,443,178; FY22/23 was £821,000.

Israel: Geneva Conventions

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development, whether he has had recent discussions with the Government of Israel on upholding the Geneva conventions.

David Rutley: The UK has a strong track record of supporting international humanitarian law, and we call on our friends and partners to do the same. Israel has the right to defend itself proportionately, and its military operations must be conducted in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. Civilians must be respected and protected. Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have, in their discussions with their Israeli counterparts, emphasised the importance of taking all possible measures to protect innocent civilians. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has stated that Israel will operate in accordance with international law.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking with his international counterparts to help ensure the safe and unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza in accordance with humanitarian principles.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to provide humanitarian support to Israel since the start of the terrorist attacks on 7 October 2023.

David Rutley: The UK is calling for immediate unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza so that essential aid can reach civilian populations including food, water, fuel and medical supplies. The UK is also calling on all parties to protect border crossings to support safe humanitarian access and mitigate harm to civilians. The FCDO is actively engaging with the international humanitarian system (including Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), UN agencies, Civil Society Organisations) to address the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza.On the 16 October, the Prime Minister announced £10 million in humanitarian funding for civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) and on 23 October a further £20 million, in response to the escalating conflict. This funding will allow trusted partners, including key UN agencies, to provide essential relief items and services. These could include food, water and emergency shelter, depending on the needs on the ground. The UK is also exploring options for moving humanitarian supplies closer to the region and is liaising with aid agencies in the region to ensure relief supplies can be distributed as quickly and effectively as possible.On 19 October, the Foreign Secretary travelled to the region where he met leaders in Egypt, Turkey and Qatar and pushed for agreement on humanitarian access to Gaza, the release of British hostages and foreign nationals, and securing safe passage for British Nationals to leave Gaza. The UK will remain committed to mitigating the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and calling for international humanitarian law to be respected, while standing alongside the people of Israel against the terrorist group Hamas.

Tunisia: Christianity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department is providing to Christians in Tunisia.

David Rutley: We continue to engage with different faith groups to understand the challenges they may face. During his visit to Tunisia in June 2022, the Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon visited Muslim, Christian and Jewish religious sites to understand the situation regarding Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and to express UK support for respect and tolerance between communities.

Colombia: Peace Negotiations

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with international partners to support the Colombian Government's peace talks with (a) the EMC and (b) other armed groups in Colombia.

David Rutley: Through our role as penholder at the UN Security Council (UNSC), the UK works closely with international partners to support the peace process in Colombia. During the most recent UNSC meeting on 11 October, Council members reiterated their willingness help monitor and verify the implementation of the ceasefire between the Government and the armed group that identifies itself as the Estado Mayor Central, when the Secretary General confirms that appropriate ceasefire protocols are in place. In August, the UK helped coordinate a similar agreement for the UN Verification Mission in Colombia to monitor and verify the ceasefire with the armed group Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN). As the second largest UN Trust Fund donor, the UK will continue to be a leading advocate of Colombia's peace process.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Plastics: Sales

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) wet wipes, (b) tampon applicators, (c) tobacco filters, (d) sachets and (e) single-use cups containing plastic were sold in England in each year since 2010.

Rebecca Pow: (a) Research by Valpak to inform the Government consultation on the proposed ban of wet wipes containing plastic estimated that 24-32bn wet wipes were sold in the UK each year over the last 10 years. The research was not able to identify the exact proportion of wet wipes sold that contain plastic. However, it found that only 16% of wet wipes were explicitly labelled as plastic free in 2021. The consultation launched on 14 October 2023 and aims to gather more information on this. (b) Defra does not collect information on the sale of tampons, including those with applicators containing plastic. (c) Defra does not collect information on the sale of tobacco filters, including those containing plastic. (d) Defra does not collect information on the sale of sachets, including those containing plastic. (e) Research by the Waste and Resources Action Programme estimated that approximately 3.2 billion (+/- 9%) fibre-based composite cups and 1.0 billion (+/- 9%) plastic cups were placed onto the UK market in 2019.

Plastics: Sales

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the number of (a) plastic straws, (b) plastic drink stirrers and (c) plastic-stemmed cotton buds sold in England in each year since 2010.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an estimate of the number of (a) disposable plastic plates and cutlery, (b) polystyrene containers, and (c) balloon sticks that were sold in England in each year since 2010.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an estimate of the number of non-plastic (a) single use straws, (b) drink stirrers and (c) cotton buds that were sold in England in each year since 2010.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an estimate of the number of non-plastic (a) disposable cups, (b) plates, (c) cutlery, (d) take-away containers and (e) balloon sticks that were sold in England in each year since 2010.

Rebecca Pow: No annual sales estimates have been made for these items since 2010. However, further information on estimated sales can be found in our published Impact Assessments on legislation.gov.uk: The Environmental Protection (Plastic Plates etc. and Polystyrene Containers etc.) (England) Regulations 2023 - Impact Assessment (legislation.gov.uk)The Environmental Protection (Plastic Straws, Cotton Buds and Stirrers) (England) Regulations 2020 - Impact Assessment (legislation.gov.uk)

Packaging: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the comparative lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions per litre of container from (a) virgin glass bottles, (b) recycled glass bottles, (c) refillable glass bottles, (d) plastic, (e) recycled plastic, (f) refillable plastic, (g) virgin aluminium cans, (h) recycled aluminium cans (i) cartons and (j) other packaging.

Rebecca Pow: The Department has not estimated nor undertaken a comparative analysis of the greenhouse gas emissions of the different packaging types mentioned over their lifecycles.

Sewage and Water Charges: Social Tariffs

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will implement a single social tariff for water and sewerage services.

Rebecca Pow: I refer my Honourable friend to the answer given on 3 February 2023 to PQ 135453.

Fly-tipping

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of waste disposal charges on fly-tipping.

Rebecca Pow: In 2021, we commissioned research into the drivers, deterrents and impacts of fly-tipping. It suggested that any friction in the services provided by local authorities, such as charges for waste disposal services, may impact on levels of fly-tipping. The report is available at Science Search (defra.gov.uk). We believe it is important that local residents are able to dispose of their rubbish in a responsible and convenient manner. That is why last year we consulted on preventing charges for householders to dispose of DIY waste at household waste recycling centres. The government response was published on 18 June and we will be introducing legislation at the end of the year. In our Waste Prevention Programme: Maximising Resources, Minimising Waste, we have committed to consult by 2025 on removing the fee for consumers to have bulky domestic furniture collected from their homes. This will make it easier for them to do the right thing with their items when they are no longer required.

Plastics: Sales

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the enforcement actions undertaken by local authorities against the illegal sale of (a) plastic straws, (b) drink stirrers and (c) plastic-stemmed cotton buds since October 2020.

Rebecca Pow: No information is held on the illegal sale of these items. The responsibility for enforcement lies with Trading Standards and Local Authorities.

Members: Correspondence

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to reply to the letter of 14 February 2023 sent by email from Westminster City Council, Kensington and Chelsea Council, Hammersmith and Fulham Council, Camden Council and the London Environment Directors’ Network on Flood Re eligibility criteria.

Rebecca Pow: A response was sent to Cllr Geoff Barraclough on 18 April 2023.

Bottles: Deposit Return Schemes

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations to agree a UK-wide approach to glass bottles in deposit return schemes.

Rebecca Pow: UK Government believe it is essential that all Deposit Return Schemes for drinks containers across the UK are interoperable. This includes having aligned materials in scope across the UK. The UK Government oppose inclusion of glass in DRS. The inclusion of glass would add cost and complexity to the schemes, particularly to hospitality and retail sectors, as well as adding consumer inconvenience. We received strong representations from relevant businesses, including distillers and the hospitality sector, about the impact on trade and in particular consumer choice created by permanently different arrangements on glass within the UK internal market. We want to ensure that the schemes operate seamlessly for businesses and consumers across the UK and do not create unnecessary barriers to trade. Defra is working closely with devolved administrations at pace on the next steps.

Floods: Insurance

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that insurance companies do not make the provision of flood insurance conditional on actions being taken by third parties to provide protections where the resident has no power to compel them to act.

Rebecca Pow: Insurers consider a range of factors in setting premiums and/or excesses in household insurance policies that include cover against flooding. Individual insurers will take different approaches to assessing flood risk. The decision to insure a property is a commercial decision made by the insurer.

Dangerous Dogs

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the resources that will be required to implement the proposed ban on American Bully XLs; and whether her Department plans to take steps to help support (a) animal welfare charities, (b) local authorities and (c) the police when the proposed ban comes into effect.

Trudy Harrison: We are working with animal welfare charities, local authority representatives and the police to identify the resources that will be required to implement the ban on American XL Bully breed type dogs. We will continue to work closely as the ban comes into effect

Recycling

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the waste hierarchy set out in section 12 of the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011, what recent estimate her Department has made of the volume of waste material which are capable of being (a) kept in use for longer, (b) reused, (c) repaired and reused, (d) recycled into a new product or use, (e) used to produce fuel, heat or power, (f) incinerated without energy recovery and (g) sent to landfill in the last 12 months.

Rebecca Pow: Defra does not hold estimates or collect this data at a whole economy level, nor does it have data relating to the last 12 months. Some research has been conducted on specific sectors. For instance, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) estimated in 2012 that 32% of bulky waste taken to household waste recycling centres could be suitable for reuse. WRAP also estimated that up to 25% of electricals which are discarded by householders could be either repaired or reused. In relation to (d) recycled into a new product or use, the resources and waste strategy monitoring progress report contains an estimate based on 2017 data from WRAP that 53% of residual waste from household sources consisted of readily recyclable materials, with only 8% being completely unavoidable. Furthermore, of residual plastic waste from household sources, 25% consisted of readily recyclable plastics and a further 31% could be potentially recyclable with technologies in development. With regard to residual waste (e) to (g), we have not made an assessment of capable use within the last 12 months. However, we publish annual statistics on local authority collected waste management as well as UK statistics on waste.

Waste Disposal

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department made of (a) residual waste excluding major mineral waste, (b) municipal residual waste, (c) residual municipal food waste per capita, (d) residual municipal plastic waste per capita, (e) municipal paper and card waste per capita, (f) residual municipal metal waste per capita and (g) residual municipal glass waste per capita in the latest year for which data is available.

Rebecca Pow: The total mass of residual waste within scope of the interim targets announced in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 was a) 574 kg per person or 32.3 million tonnes, b) 468 kg per person, c) 127 kg per person, d) 75 kg per person, e) 99 kg per person, f) 16 kg per person, and g) 12 kg per person for the 2019 baseline year. Progress against these targets has not yet been reported.

Waste: Exports

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the enforcement actions undertaken by the Environment Agency against illegal waste exports in each year since 2010.

Rebecca Pow: Environment Agency (EA) officers carry out pro-active, intelligence led inspections to stop suspected illegal waste shipments. This can be done at site or before the shipment leaves port. The EA prioritises shipments that have the greatest potential for environmental impact. Its intelligence led approach considers various factors such as destination country, waste type, operator history and risks associated with each shipment. In 2022-23 the EA prevented over 17,000 tonnes of waste being illegally exported, this was through stopping containers at port, but also through upstream interventions at waste sites and preventing waste from being loaded for export. The EA provides advice and guidance to operators on how to export waste lawfully, and only considers enforcement action where this advice and guidance has not been heeded. Any decision on enforcement action is taken in accordance with the EA’s Enforcement and Sanctions Policy, which can be found here Environment Agency enforcement and sanctions policy - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Prosecutions can be complex and generally involve engagement with international partners given the nature of illegal waste exports, but they are vital in appropriate cases. Other interventions such as Notices requiring action are quicker and can be more effective. Since 2018 the EA has regularly served over 100 notices per year on suspected illegal waste shipment. Data on enforcement actions undertaken by the EA since 2017 are presented in the table below. Data on enforcement actions undertaken prior to 2017 are not held centrally and therefore cannot be provided in the current timeframe. Breakdown of Environment Agency enforcement actions since 2017:Year2017201820192020202120222023Grand TotalCaution10000001Civil Sanctions10000304Fixed Penalty Notice00000000Notice881801801122111571221050Prosecution10011115Prosecution (Withdrawn at Court)00000101Warning Letter4301371028951831801142151691331089

Electronic Cigarettes: Sales

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many disposable vaping products were sold in England in each year since 2010.

Rebecca Pow: Defra does not collect or hold data on the number of disposable vapes sold in England.

Floods: Insurance

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of residents who are unable to access insurance through the Flood Re scheme as a result of living in (a) buildings that are subdivided into more than four units and (b) blocks of flats where the leaseholders jointly share the freehold but have formed a private management company.

Rebecca Pow: There is currently no evidence of a widespread systemic problem for residents in accessing insurance, where they are ineligible for Flood Re. Tenants and leaseholders are able to obtain contents insurance supported by Flood Re regardless of the size of the block. The British Insurance Brokers’ Association and the Association of British Insurers has established a Signposting Service, to help source insurance. The signposting service has assisted over 13,000 enquiries since its launch in September 2022. This is further supported by a Code of Practice for insurers which sets out good practice in dealing with consumers who are having difficulty accessing flood insurance, including communicating exclusions to customers.

Water: Standards

Samantha Dixon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that water companies (a) sample water entering their water treatment plants and (b) publish data on this.

Rebecca Pow: There is no requirement currently for water companies to sample and publish data on the quality of water entering their waste water treatment plants. However, they are required to sample treated effluents from their plants which are discharged to the environment. These samples are analysed and assessed for compliance against protective environmental permit requirements. This information is reported to the Environment Agency and published on GOV.UK. However, a new requirement in S. 82 of the Environment Act 2021 requires sewerage undertakers to continuously monitor the quality of the receiving water upstream and downstream of their assets. This will allow sewerage undertakers to assess the impact of discharges from their assets on the receiving watercourse. The requirement covers both storm overflows and the treatment works discharges and is being introduced in 2025. Continuous Water Quality Monitoring Programme - provisional technical guidance for sewerage undertakers (publishing.service.gov.uk).

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much their Department spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Animal and Plant Health Agency spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Consumer Council for Water spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Covent Garden Market Authority spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Dartmoor National Park Authority spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department's Science Advisory Council spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Environment Agency spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much Flood Re spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Forestry Commission spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Independent Agricultural Appeals Panel spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Joint Nature Conservation Committee spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Lake District National Park Authority spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Marine Management Organisation spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the National Forest Company spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Natural England spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the New Forest National Park Authority spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the North York Moors National Park Authority spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Northumberland National Park Authority spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Office for Environmental Protection spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Peak District National Park Authority spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Plant Varieties and Seeds Tribunal spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Rural Payments Agency spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Seafish spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the South Downs National Park Authority spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Veterinary Medicines Directorate spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Veterinary Products Committee spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Water Services Regulation Authority spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Trudy Harrison: On 2 October, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a value for money audit of all EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) spending in the Civil Service. The audit will dovetail with the public sector productivity review, aiming at delivering a leaner, more efficient government. The audit forms part of our drive to improve productivity across the public sector by driving down waste and improving performance. The findings and actions of the audit will be announced by the Chancellor in the autumn.

Water Companies: Pollution Control

Samantha Dixon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that water companies meet their target for reduced pollution incidents by 2025.

Rebecca Pow: While the water sector has delivered a 15% reduction in category 1-3 pollution incidents since 2019, companies are not on track to meet the 2024-25 target. Both the Government and regulators expect water companies to step up this improvement. Ministers regularly meet with the regulators to discuss progress and have engaged directly with water companies who are not performing to the standard we expect. The Environment Agency regularly meets with water companies to assure progress against their pollution reductions plans, which water companies are required to publish. Pollution offences may be subject to action in line with the Environment Agency’s Enforcement and Sanctions Policy. Ofwat requires underperforming companies to produce detailed service delivery plans, and Ministers will be following this up with regular meetings with Chairs and CEOs to track progress. I have also written to Ofwat’s Chair and CEO asking them to outline the detailed steps they will take to hold all water companies to account on these findings. Where companies have underperformed against their commitments, they will be required to return money directly to customers through their bills. Based on the results of Ofwat’s 2022-23 Water Company Performance Report, water companies will have to return £114 million over 2024-25.

Food: Waste

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the consultation on Improved food waste reporting by large food businesses in England, published on 13 June 2023, how many large businesses responded to the consultation; and how many (a) supported and (b) rejected its proposals.

Rebecca Pow: 46 organisations responded to the consultation on improved food waste reporting as large businesses. 30 supported a mandatory approach while 13 supported an enhancement of the voluntary approach. The remainder were unsure or did not have an opinion.

Ministry of Defence

Ukraine: Armed Conflict

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the military lessons to be learned from the conflict in Ukraine.

James Heappey: The Russia Ukraine Insights Hub identified insights at the strategic and operational level for Defence drawn from the UK's response to the war in Ukraine. These insights have informed subsequent Defence decision making. In addition to strategic insights, the single Services continue to identify lessons pertinent to their domains.

AWACS: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2023 to Question 201005, when he was first informed of contractor issues relating to assurance activity as part of the E-7 Wedgetail programme.

James Cartlidge: The Programme continues to report progress and I am informed regularly on all equipment delivery programmes, which includes any issues associated with the Wedgetail programme.

HMS Westminster

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has budgeted for the modernisation of HMS Westminster.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has budgeted for the modernisation of HMS Westminster.

James Cartlidge: The estimated cost for refitting HMS Westminster is £100 million. The upkeep for HMS Westminster is budgeted through the Future Maritime Support Programme (FMSP) contract c.£5 billion. FMSP funding is adjusted to support changing requirements accordingly and as such is not broken down to the refit and maintenance of individual assets.

Ministry of Defence: Cybersecurity

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure resilience in its cyber infrastructure.

James Cartlidge: The Cyber Resilience Strategy for Defence published in May 2022 sets out the steps that the MOD is taking to enhance cyber security and deliver secure foundations for Defence, working in collaboration with Government, industry, academia, and international allies and partners. A key element of this is the secure Digital Backbone that will improve resilience in our cyber infrastructure. All new capabilities are being built Secure by Design. We are also working closely with industry to embed MOD-approved standards, while ensuring that our people are cyber aware and empowered to be informed decision makers.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) in service and (b) out of service date of Desert Hawk is.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the original out of service date of Desert Hawk was.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the whole-life cost of the Desert Hawk programme is.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the programme cost of Desert Hawk is.

James Cartlidge: Due to the time taken to collate the information, I will write to the right hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Rifles

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of replacing the SA80 assault rifle with an alternative rifle.

James Cartlidge: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the previous Minister for Defence Procurement (Alex Chalk KC) on 12 January 2023 to Question 117843 to the hon. Member for Slough (Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi). Army Weapons (docx, 23.3KB)

Frigates

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many frigates are in service with the Royal Navy; and what the status of HMS Westminster is.

James Cartlidge: There are currently 11 Frigates in His Majesty's Service with the Royal Navy.Regarding the status of HMS Westminster, I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 7 September 2023 to Question 197345. HMS Westminster (docx, 23.4KB)

Armed Forces: Firearms

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) SA80 A3 assault rifles and (b) Glock General Service Pistols were in the Ministry of Defence inventory in each year since 2010.

James Cartlidge: The SA80 A3 was first produced in 2017, therefore numbers were not recorded in service before 2017, the information provided in the table below shows the number of SA80A3 held on the Current Assets Register each year since 2017. SA80 A3 NSN 1005991552342Year2017201820192020202120222023Total4025,0105,0104,98515,09417,90824,918   The equivalent data for the Glock General Service Pistol L131A1 could only be retrieved at disproportionate cost.

Military Bases

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an estimate of the number and proportion of military barracks in the UK that are overcrowded.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force have confirmed there is no overcrowding in their Single Living Accommodation (SLA).For the Army, the information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the Army have seen no reports of overcrowding, and where demand for SLA exceeds supply, Substitute Service Single Accommodation is provided.

Armed Forces: Motor Vehicles

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many callouts his Department's National Roadside Repair and Recovery Scheme received in each year since 2015.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse was of his Department's National Roadside Repair and Recovery scheme in each year since 2015.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many callouts the National Roadside Repair and Recovery scheme received in (a) the UK, (b) Europe and (c) Morocco in each year since 2015.

James Cartlidge: Financial Year (1 Apr – 31 Mar)No of call-outs in UK No of call-outs in Europe No of call-outs in Morocco TOTAL No of call-outs TOTAL Cost (£) Ex VAT 2015-16*N/AN/AN/AN/A£687,5782016-1718283801866£838,8592017-1817336101794£664,7482018-1916955411749£833,0402019-2015604301603£783,4012020-211195501200£529,1962021-2218293301862£1,053,6632022-2315066201568£985,765 *Information on the number of call outs for Financial Year 2015-16 is not held.

Armed Forces: Huntington's Disease

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made a comparative assessment of the policy in (a) the UK and (b) other European countries on whether people affected by Huntington’s disease may serve in the armed forces.

Dr Andrew Murrison: There has been no comparative assessment of the policy in the UK and other European countries on whether people affected by Huntington’s disease may serve in the Armed Forces. However, all medical entry and in-service standards are regularly reviewed by subject matter experts, military health professionals and military occupational physicians.

Destroyers and Frigates

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) destroyers and (b) frigates the Royal Navy plans to have in service in (i) 2025, (ii) 2030 and (iii) 2035.

James Cartlidge: The Royal Navy (RN) will continue to have the destroyers and frigates it needs to deliver on its operational commitments until 2035 and beyond. In the coming years, the make-up of the RN will change as it transitions from Type 23 Frigates to Type 26 Anti-Submarine Warfare and Type 31 General Purpose Frigates. This is a significant investment, with shipbuilding for the Royal Navy doubling to £1.7 billion by the end of this Parliament. We do not disclose the fine detail of forward availability forecasts to preserve the operational security of the Fleet.

AWACS: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March to Question 156935 on AWACS: Procurement, whether the full business case for E-7 Wedgetail has been approved.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right hon. Member to the Answer I gave to Question 201003 on 18 October 2023.AWACS Procurement (docx, 15.0KB)

Defence and Foreign Relations

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with which countries the UK has annual 2 + 2 meetings.

James Heappey: The UK has annual 2 + 2 meetings at Ministerial level with Australia, Italy, Japan, and Poland.

Defence: Buildings

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 September 2023 to Question 198289 on Defence: Buildings, when he plans that surveys to identify buildings which may have been constructed with RAAC on his Department's land will be completed.

James Cartlidge: The Government has acted decisively to tackle this issue and has taken a proportionate approach informed by experts.Professional advice from experts on RAAC has evolved over time, from advice in the 1990s that RAAC did not pose a safety hazard to more recent advice on identifying and assessing structural adequacy.The Office of Government Property wrote to all Government Property Leaders in 2019, and again in September 2022, highlighting safety alerts on RAAC and signposting guidance on identification and remediation. The Government also created a cross-Government working group on RAAC this year to collectively address the issue.Since then, departments have been surveying properties and depending on the assessment of the RAAC, decided to either continue to monitor the structure, reinforce it, or replace it. This is in line with the approach recommended by the Institution of Structural Engineers.

Armed Forces: Commonwealth

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many commonwealth nationals joined the British armed forces in each year since 2010.

James Heappey: The table below provides the intake of Untrained Regular Commonwealth Nationals into the British Armed Forces each financial year from 2010: Financial Year (FY)IntakeFY2010-11450FY2011-12680FY2012-13720FY2013-14440FY2014-15120FY2015-1690FY2016-17320FY2017-18480FY2018-19290FY2019-201,520FY2020-21650FY2021-22410FY2022-23360 1. Figures are for the Regulars only and therefore excludes Full Time Reserve Service personnel, Gurkhas, mobilised Reservists, all other Reserves, Military Provost Guard Service, Locally Employed Personnel and Non-Regular Permanent Staff.2. The figures in the table refer to untrained personnel.3. Nationality is self-recorded on the Joint Personnel Administration system. Nationality has been used for the Commonwealth grouping and therefore may reflect nationality at birth, but not the status under which they were recruited.4. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, with the exception of numbers ending in a“5” which have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

Military Exercises

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse was for (a) abandoned and (b) postponed training exercises in each year since 2015, broken down by service.

James Heappey: This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Veterans: Radiation Exposure

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications his Department has received for the Nuclear Test Medal.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what order his Department is issuing Nuclear Test Medals in; and how many Nuclear Test Medals had been issued by 16 October 2023.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The total number of Nuclear Test Medal (NTM) applications received as at 16 October 2023 was 3,198 and 1,060 awards have been issued so far.The initial priority was given to veterans who had applied prior to 18 September 2023 with applications from those over 90 and/or the terminally ill reviewed first. The MOD is now starting to issue medals to widows who had applied prior to 18 September 2023, whilst continuing to process new cases from veterans. Once widow applications have been processed this will be followed by the processing of applications from other next of kin.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: EUFOR

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government plans to join the EU operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

James Heappey: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 October 2023 to Question 202322 to the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Alicia Kearns).Bosnia and Herzegovina EUFOR (docx, 14.9KB)

Ukraine: Foreign Relations

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many bilateral meetings with Ukraine his Department has held under the G7 Joint Declaration of support for Ukraine of 12 July 2023; and which minister leads on these discussions.

James Heappey: On 12 July 2023 the UK and other G7 members reaffirmed our unwavering commitment to the strategic objective of a free, independent, democratic, and sovereign Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders, capable of defending itself and deterring future aggression. This is in line with pre-existing UK commitment to work with Ukraine on specific, bilateral, long-term defence and security commitments and arrangements. The Secretary of State for Defence leads on defence elements of this work, meeting regularly with his counterparts from Ukraine, NATO, the Joint Expeditionary Force and Northern Group to discuss ongoing support to Ukraine, most recently at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein in September.

Saudi Arabia: Global Combat Air Programme

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions his Department has held with Saudi Arabia on the Global Combat Air Programme.

James Cartlidge: The UK has a long-standing strategic relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is why we signed a Statement of Intent on the 1st March 2023, launching a Partnering Feasibility Study to define the future of our historic Combat Air partnership. All three GCAP nations have highlighted our openness to working with other nations through this programme, helping to deliver their future military capabilities.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Mark Logan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to progress commitments made under The Tallinn Pledge.

James Heappey: Following the announcement of The Tallin Pledge, the UK delivered a major package of equipment to Ukraine which met our donations commitment in full. The training commitment will be met by the end of 2023. Along with allies and partners, we continue to provide Ukraine with equipment needed to protect critical national infrastructure and expel Russian forces from Ukraine's sovereign territory.

Department for Work and Pensions

Lithium: EU Action

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has had discussions with her EU counterparts on the opinion on lithium (a) carbonate, (b) chloride and (c) hydroxide adopted by the European Chemicals Agency Committee for Risk Assessment.

Mims Davies: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and other Ministers have had no discussions with EU counterparts on the opinion on lithium (a) carbonate, (b) chloride and (c) hydroxide adopted by the European Chemicals Agency Committee for Risk Assessment. While the UK continues to recognise the importance of the European Union (EU) as an important market for UK business, following EU Exit the UK must reach its own independent decisions regarding the classification and labelling of hazardous chemicals.

Lithium: Labelling

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the Health and Safety Executive's timeline is for further consideration of the proposed mandatory classification and labelling for lithium (a) carbonate, (b) chloride and (c) hydroxide under article 37A of the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation.

Mims Davies: The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) timeline for further consideration of the proposed GB mandatory classification and labelling of substances is set out in Article 37A of the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation (GB CLP). Under Article 37A, HSE, as the GB CLP Agency, may submit a proposal for a new or revised GB mandatory classification and labelling requirement when there is evidence of new scientific data or information that may lead to a new or revised mandatory classification and labelling for a priority hazard class, such as carcinogenicity, mutagenicity or reproductive toxicity. There is no statutory time limit on HSE to prepare and submit a proposal. HSE regulatory and scientific specialists will investigate the evidence and new scientific data made available and, if necessary, seek additional information or consult other departments or agencies. HSE’s specialists have conducted a significant amount of work considering the classification of these lithium substances, including the publication of the Agency Technical Report in August 2022 and the Agency Opinion in August 2023. Further consideration of the proposed GB mandatory classification and labelling for lithium (a) carbonate, (b) chloride and (c) hydroxide is underway. HSE will continue to engage with stakeholders during this process.

Independent Case Examiner: Correspondence

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average response time to correspondence was by the Independent Case Examiner in the latest period for which data is available.

Mims Davies: The Office of the Independent Case Examiner holds correspondence data on: a) the time taken to respond to customers on the results of initial checks from receipt of a complaint; andb) the time taken to respond to complaints about its own service. From 1 April – 30 September 2023: the average time ICE took to respond to correspondence on ‘a’ was 3 working days; andthe average time ICE took to respond to correspondence on ‘b’ was 6 working days. ICE’s service standards for ‘a’ and ‘b’ are 10 and 15 working days, respectively.

Social Security Benefits: Artificial Intelligence

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the use of artificial intelligence on the functioning of the welfare system.

Mims Davies: DWP is continually exploring the use of all types of Artificial Intelligence and its potential to support the provision of more digital services with a human touch in a safe, ethical, and considered way. Artificial Intelligence will never replace the role of our colleagues in supporting customers throughout their journey. We are using Artificial Intelligence to undertake administrative or repetitive tasks, freeing up our colleagues to spend more time with claimants. As part of our approach, and in-line with the Prime Minister’s Foundation Model Taskforce, DWP has created a Generative Artificial Intelligence Lighthouse Programme which will safely guide our innovation in emerging Artificial Intelligence technology. The role of this programme is to ‘test and learn’ in a safe and governed environment where all types of AI can be used to assist us in the delivery of our customer outcomes and department efficiencies. Following this test and learn approach will help us to build more certainty on the potential benefits that can be realised. Where Artificial Intelligence is used to assist its activities in prevention and detection of fraud within UC applications, DWP always ensures appropriate safeguards are in place for the proportionate, ethical, and legal use of data with internal monitoring protocols adhered to. Through the work of departmental governance, we can always explain how the AI reaches conclusions using data. DWP will not use AI to replace human judgement in determining or denying a payment to a claimant. Where appropriate, Equality and Data Protection Impact Assessments have been carried out. DWP's Personal Information Charter(opens in a new tab) explains how and why we use personal information and citizen’s rights and responsibilities.DWP's Personal Information Charter(opens in a new tab) explains how and why we use personal information and citizen’s rights and responsibilities.

Youth Services: Staff

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Youth Hub work coaches are employed by his Department as of 19 October 2023; and how many were employed on the same date in (a) 2022 and (b) 2021.

Mims Davies: As referenced in PQ190114, due to changes in claimant needs new Youth Hubs may open, and existing Youth Hubs may close. The number of open Youth Hubs and their required Youth Hub Work Coach resource may therefore fluctuate, as claimants access wider Youth Offer support.  RoleABM FTE  Sep-23Sep-22Sep-21Youth Hub Work Coach90130150Source: DWP’s internal Activity Based Model (ABM) Notes:Data is correct as of end of September 2021, 2022, and 2023.Data is drawn as at the end of each month. Therefore, the end of September figure has been used for 2021 and 2022, and for consistency the same has been used for 2023.Figures were derived from the Department’s Activity Based Model (ABM), which provides Full Time Equivalent (FTE) figures based on point in time estimate by Line Managers. They cover only FTE of staff with paid employment performing activities as Youth Hub Work Coaches. They have been rounded to the nearest 10.The number of Youth Hub Work Coaches is unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal department use and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics standard. As the Department holds the information, we have released it.Youth Employability Coaches and other Jobcentre staff may also work from Youth Hubs which is not reflected in this data.

Access to Work Programme: Standards

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the shortest waiting time was for any person applying for Access to Work in the latest period for which data is available.

Tom Pursglove: During October 2023 a number of Supported Internship and Mental Health Support service direct referrals have had a decision within 1 day of the person making the application. Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.

Universal Credit: Appeals

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the support provided by his Department to universal credit recipients who wish to appeal a decision at Upper Tribunal.

Tom Pursglove: The judiciary is independent of the department and therefore any appeals to the Upper Tribunal are a matter for the claimant and His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). If a claimant seeks to appeal their First-tier Tribunal (FTT) decision to the Upper Tribunal, they must follow the guidance provided to them by the FTT.

Treasury

Pensions: Tax Rates and Bands

Emma Hardy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of people in each of the last five financial years who crystalised their pension assets and had total pension pots in threshold bands of (a) £1.073 million and above, but below £1.25 million, (b) £1.25 million and above, but below £1.5 million, (c) £1.5 million and above, but below £1.75 million, (d) £1.75 million and above, but below £2 million and (e) £2 million and above; and for each of the threshold bands given, how many people were assumed for the purposes of any revenue forecasts, whether made by the Office for Budget Responsibility or by HMRC, to have crystalised their pension assets in the years covered by those forecasts.

Andrew Griffith: On 15 March the government introduced legislation to remove the LTA charge from 6 April 2023, prior to the full abolition of the LTA from 6 April 2024. By removing the lifetime limit on tax-relievable pension savings and improving the financial incentives of work, this policy ensures that individuals will not be disincentivised from remaining in work by pension tax limits. It therefore supports government efforts to increase labour market productivity. The information requested could only be produced at disproportionate cost. Lifetime Allowance charges are published by HMRC annually up to tax year 2021 to 2022 in Table 8 of the Private pension statistics publication: Private pension statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Electronic Funds Transfer: Hacking

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) likelihood and (b) impact on the banking sector of a payments system being hacked by a hostile actor; and what contingency plans his Department has put in place for this.

Andrew Griffith: In fulfilling its role as lead government department for the finance sector, HMT assesses a range of risks that might have an impact on the functioning of the sector. The department has published several risks in the 2023 National Risk Register.

Air Passenger Duty

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the statement on Net zero by the Prime Minister on 20 September 2023, whether he plans to amend air passenger duty rates.

Gareth Davies: Air Passenger Duty (APD) is the Government’s principal tax on the aviation sector, since tickets are VAT free and aviation fuel incurs no duty. Its primary objective is to ensure that airlines make a fair contribution to the public finances. As with all taxes, the Government keeps the rates of APD under review and any changes are announced by the Chancellor at fiscal events.

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times he met spirits distillers to discuss the August 2023 changes to alcohol duty.

Gareth Davies: The Government consulted extensively and took account of evidence from a wider range of stakeholders, including spirits producers, and a variety of data sets as part of the tax policy making process on the new alcohol duty system. The response to the final consultation can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1145222/M5209_M5348_Alcohol_Duty_Review_consultation_response_FINAL.pdf.HM Treasury keeps all taxes, including alcohol duties, under review and welcomes stakeholders' views as part of the annual Budget representations process. Guidance on submitting Budget representations is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/autumn-statement-2023-representations/guidance-for-submitting-autumn-statement-2023-representations-to-the-treasury Stakeholders can make representations, which form part of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s considerations.

Cultural Heritage: Tax Allowances

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department holds on the number of people that visited tax exemption scheme heritage assets in each of the last 10 years.

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the terms of the tax exemption scheme for heritage assets were last reviewed.

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of tax relief for national heritage assets as a contribution to public enjoyment of such assets.

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his estimate he has made of the annual cost of offering tax relief for national heritage assets.

Victoria Atkins: Land, buildings and objects of outstanding scenic, architectural, historic or artistic interest form an integral part of the cultural life of this country. The capital taxes conditional exemption encourages the nation’s heritage to be preserved and displayed for the enjoyment of the public. Following a detailed review, these rules were updated in the Finance Act 1998. All elements of the tax system remain under continuous review. The majority of objects that benefit from exemption are displayed in public museums or galleries. Owners of land and buildings report visitor numbers as part of the regular monitoring undertaken by HMRC in collaboration with heritage advisory bodies. HMRC does not collate these numbers and they could only be provided reliably at disproportionate cost. Estimates of the cost of the conditional exemption are published as part of HMRC’s ‘non-structural tax reliefs’ publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/main-tax-expenditures-and-structural-reliefs.

Revenue and Customs: Disability

Derek Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of HMRC's (a) strategy for making and (b) capacity to make reasonable adjustments for service users with disabilities.

Victoria Atkins: HMRC’s Charter and Principles of support sets out the approach to providing access to its services, including providing reasonable adjustments to customers. The Charter Annual report outlines HMRC’s progress in meeting the Charter. Additional HMRC guidance on making reasonable adjustments is in place to support this, and HMRC will support customers identified as needing extra help. HMRC has specialist teams that support those with disabilities or additional needs.

Police: Housing

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of waiving HMRC rules on benefit in kind for the provision of police housing in areas with low availability of public housing.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which (a) posts and (b) occupations are exempt from provided or subsidised accommodation being considered as a benefit-in-kind by HMRC for income tax purposes.

Victoria Atkins: Where an employer provides living accommodation to an employee it is usually taxable as a benefit in kind. Accommodation can be provided exempt from tax, providing it meets these conditions: employees cannot do their work properly without it, for example agricultural workers living on farms;an employer is usually expected to provide accommodation for people doing that type of work (for example a manager living above a pub, or a vicar looking after a parish);accommodation is provided to protect an employee because the type of work they do means there’s a special threat to their security.  HMRC has published guidance that covers which occupations are customary and therefore satisfy an exemption from tax. The tax rules for employer provided accommodation apply to the whole of the UK and are consistent across different employers. This ensures the UK tax system is simple, easy to understand, and limits the risk of abuse. The government has no plans to make changes but, keeps all taxes under review.

Revenue and Customs: Repayments

Derek Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the average time taken for HMRC to refund VAT to companies which have deregistered.

Victoria Atkins: A deregistered company submits a form VAT427(Claim for input tax relief from VAT on cancellation of registration) to HMRC. On receipt of a correctly completed VAT427 form, on average HMRC takes 5 working days to issue a refund.

Revenue and Customs: Welsh Language

Hywel Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision in Wales of HM Revenue and Customs PAYE employer enquiries assistance through the medium of Welsh.

Victoria Atkins: To comply with the Welsh Language Act 1993, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) adopts the principle that, in the conduct of its public business and communication in Wales, it will treat the English and Welsh languages equally in appropriate circumstances and when reasonably practicable. The Welsh Language Unit is a specialist team within HMRC's Customer Services department that handles both telephone and written queries from individuals who want to contact with HMRC in Welsh. They also translate and distribute Welsh letters, forms, and leaflets.

Music Venues: Business Rates

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to extend business rates relief to grassroots music venues.

Victoria Atkins: At Autumn Statement 2022, an extended Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief worth £2.1 billion was announced for 2023-24. The relief provides a 75% discount for eligible RHL properties, including music venues, up to a cash-cap of £110,000 per business. Grassroots music venues will also have benefitted from the decision to freeze the multiplier for a further year. This was a tax cut worth £9.3 billion to businesses over the next five years, and means all bills are 6% lower, before any reliefs or supplements are applied, than without the freeze.

Corporation Tax

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress he has made on implementation of OECD Pillar 2 on corporation tax; and if he will make an assessment of the potential economic impact of that implementation.

Victoria Atkins: The government has legislated for the Pillar 2 Multinational top-up tax (MTT) and Domestic top-up tax (DTT) for implementation from 31 December 2023. An updated Tax Impact and Information Note and costing were published at Spring Budget 2023. An update on the latest revenue forecast from the OBR and a status update on international implementation will be provided at Autumn Statement 2023.

Self-assessment: Standards

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with HMRC on improving customer service in response to queries on self-assessment paperwork.

Victoria Atkins: The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Treasury Ministers meet with HMRC officials on a regular basis to discuss HMRC’s performance. HMRC publishes its performance on a monthly and quarterly basis:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-quarterly-performance-updates

Defibrillators: VAT

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the income from VAT on defibrillator sales in the last five years; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making defibrillator sales VAT exempt.

Victoria Atkins: Businesses are not required to provide figures at a product level within their VAT returns, as this would impose an excessive administrative burden. Therefore, HM Revenue and Customs does not hold information on VAT revenue from specific products or services, including VAT on defibrillators. The Government currently provides various VAT reliefs to aid the purchase of defibrillators and other first aid equipment. For example, when an AED is purchased with funds provided by a charity or by voluntary contributions, and then donated to an eligible body (such as an NHS body or a charitable care institution), this purchase can then be zero rated, meaning no VAT is charged. Otherwise, they attract the standard rate of VAT. The Department of Health and Social Care are examining whether there are ways to further expand public access to defibrillators. The Government keeps all taxes under constant review.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Cultural Heritage

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's Guidance for custodians on how to deal with commemorative heritage assets that have become contested, published on 5 October 2023, whether she has had discussions with her counterparts in the devolved administration on that guidance.

Sir John Whittingdale: Heritage is a devolved matter. The guidance published on 5 October 2023 applies to custodians of heritage assets in England only, although custodians of heritage assets around the UK can consult the guidance if they would find it helpful. The guidance was shared with officials in the devolved administrations.

Public Statues

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's Guidance for custodians on how to deal with commemorative heritage assets that have become contested, published on 5 October 2023, what steps she has taken to help ensure that explanations accompanying statues are (a) accurate and (b) free from political bias.

Sir John Whittingdale: Removing heritage assets limits our understanding of our history, even if the events or actions of individuals in question may not be considered acceptable today.The Government is clear that the starting point for custodians of such assets should be to comply with the Government’s policy to ‘retain and explain’ them — that is, to keep assets in situ but to complement them if necessary with a comprehensive and balanced explanation. This explanation should provide the whole story of the person or event depicted, ensuring that people are able to understand the broader historical context, and equipped with the information they need to form their own opinions.It is the responsibility of the custodians of such assets to ensure that accompanying explanations are accurate and balanced. The guidance sets out information to help them go about this.

National Lottery Heritage Fund

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the National Lottery Heritage Fund in awarding grants to small charities.

Sir John Whittingdale: The National Lottery Heritage Fund makes funding decisions independently of HM Government.The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport sets Policy Directions for the UK and England. The National Lottery Heritage Fund ensures that its investment activities and strategies are aligned with these directions, as well as with the Financial Directions that it receives from HM Government, which were also issued under the National Lottery Act 1993.The Heritage Fund has developed its strategy for 2023–33, Heritage 2033, which sets out the long-term vision and ambition of the Fund, as well as a series of 3-year plans for how to realise that strategy, which was endorsed by DCMS Ministers and which the Fund monitors and reports to the Department against.

Local Press

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support the capacity of local news media in the context of the withdrawal of funding for that sector by Facebook.

Sir John Whittingdale: The Government is disappointed to see that Meta is closing its Community News Project. We are working to support journalism and local newsrooms to ensure the sustainability of this vital industry. Our new digital markets regime will help rebalance the relationship between the most powerful platforms and those who rely on them – including press publishers.Additionally, our support for the sector has included the delivery of the £2 million Future News Fund; the zero rating of VAT on e-newspapers; the extension of a 2017 business rates relief on local newspaper office space until 2025; the publication of the Online Media Literacy Strategy; and the BBC also supports the sector directly, through the £8m it spends each year on the Local News Partnership, including the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.

Department for Business and Trade

Carillion: Insolvency

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate she has made of the total costs incurred since January 2021 by (a) her Department and (b) the Insolvency Service in pursuing the disqualification proceedings dropped in October 2023 against five former board members of Carillion Construction Ltd.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Insolvency Service conducts directors disqualification proceedings under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business and Trade.On the 12th of January 2021 the Insolvency Service commenced disqualification proceedings against 3 executive directors and 5 non-executive directors of Carillion plc. The Department for Business and Trade has not incurred any costs in relation to the proceedings. The Insolvency Service has incurred estimated costs in the proceedings against all 8 directors of £11,064,519. Following the successful disqualification of the 3 executive directors, costs of £2,725,000 have been recovered.

Trade Agreements

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many civil servants in her Department are currently working on negotiations for (a) free trade agreements with (i) India, (ii) Canada, (iii) Mexico, (iv) Israel, (v) the Gulf Cooperation Council and (b) memoranda of understanding with US states.

Nigel Huddleston: The Department for Business and Trade operates a flexible resourcing model to maximise efficiency across negotiations. The Department is currently delivering seven trade negotiations, alongside work on the US. The number of staff working on these will change depending on the stage and scale of the deal. Staff work across multiple negotiations so it is not possible to quantify the number for each workstream. With the Machine of Government, Trade Negotiation Group increased its responsibility to cover wider trade policy and FTA implementation. In September 2023, DBT had 724 staff in the newly named Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations Group.

Companies: Registration

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many and what proportion of company registrations with Companies House were reported as fraudulent in 2022.

Kevin Hollinrake: Companies House currently does not have a dedicated fraud allegation reporting route and does not hold data on alleged fraudulent company registrations.

Zero Hours Contracts

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people who were employed on zero hours contracts in each year between 2017 and 2022.

Kevin Hollinrake: Zero hours contracts are an important part of the UK’s flexible labour market. They are useful where there is not a constant demand for staff, allowing flexibility for both employers and individuals. Individuals on zero hours contracts represent a very small proportion of the workforce. The ONS publishes quarterly data on the number of individuals in work on zero hours contracts in the UK. The ONS estimates that between April – June 2023, 3.6% of people aged 16 or over in employment in the UK were on a zero hours contract. This is up from 2.8% between April – June 2017.

Cornish Lithium

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has held recent discussions with the lithium battery manufacture industry on support for Cornwall Lithium.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: To accelerate the growth of domestic capabilities, government has supported several critical mineral projects. Funding has been targeted towards projects that actively build innovative, resilient value chains in the UK and contribute to our clean energy transition. Cornish Lithium have received support via the government’s Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF). Government has also backed British Lithium through the ATF, which on 29 June announced a joint venture with Imerys to mine lithium in Cornwall. Additionally, UK Infrastructure Bank recently announced an equity investment of approximately £24 million to support Cornish Lithium in the development of the UK’s critical minerals supply chain.

Strikes: Agency Workers

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she plans to appeal the decision of Mr Justice Linden on 13 July 2023 relating to the use of agency workers to fill in for striking workers.

Kevin Hollinrake: We have carefully considered the judgment and decided not to appeal, given that it was solely restricted to the issue of whether sufficient consultation took place before this change was made.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Refugees: Afghanistan

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Veterans' Affairs of 19 September 2023 on Resettlement of Afghans, Official Report, column 1254, how many (a) individuals and (b) families from Afghanistan are being housed in temporary accommodation under the local authority homelessness provision as of 17 October 2023.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Veterans' Affairs of 19 September 2023 on Resettlement of Afghans, Official Report, column 1254, how many ARAP (a) principles and (b) dependents are housed in temporary accommodation under the local authority homelessness provision in the latest period for which data is available.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the oral statement made by the Minister for Veterans' Affairs on 19 September 2023, how many Afghans and their families remain in Government-approved temporary accommodation as of 18 October 2023; and when he plans to have moved all Afghans and their families out of that accommodation.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his oral contribution of 19 September 2023, Official Report, column 1253, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of moving Afghan people out of bridging hotels on the number of those people facing homelessness.

Felicity Buchan: The majority of Afghan families have been moved out of bridging accommodation into longer-term accommodation. Time spent in temporary accommodation means people are getting help and it ensures no family is without a roof over their head.Since 1 July 2023, the Department has been monitoring homelessness duties owed by English local authorities following the closure of Home Office provided bridging accommodation and this data is available on gov.uk at the following link.There is a generous package of support available including £35 million of funding for councils to support Afghan households to move into settled accommodation, and the £750 million Local Authority Housing Fund for English councils to obtain housing for those on the Afghan and Ukrainian schemes who are at risk of homelessness. The fund is expected to provide over 4,000 homes by 2024.

Disabled Facilities Grants

Mark Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the limit for claims under the Disabled Facilities Grant from £30,000 to (a) £50,000 and (b) another amount.

Felicity Buchan: Government is committed to helping older and disabled people to live independently and safely. Government funding for Disabled Facilities Grant has more than doubled, rising from £220 million in 2015-16 to £623 million for 2023-24.Local areas already have discretion in how they manage the grant, for example, they can increase the cap on a case-by-case basis or in line with a locally published housing assistance policy. In 2022, Government published guidance for local authorities on the Disabled Facilities Grant, which includes information on using discretion in local delivery of the grant. The guidance can be found here.  As with all aspects of the Disabled Facilities Grant, the Government will continue to keep the upper limit under review.

Rented Housing: Standards

Andrew Lewer: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the speech of 20 September 2023 by the Prime Minister on Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) tackle damp and mould in rented properties and (b) ensure the long-term availability of (i) high quality and (ii) energy-efficient social rented housing.

Jacob Young: Government is committed to tackling damp and mould in rented homes. The government is reviewing the Decent Homes Standard and introducing it to the private rented sector for the first. We have introduced Awaab's Law into the Social Housing (Regulation) Act, committing to set strict time limits for social landlords to investigate and repair significant hazards in their homes, including damp and mouldWe committed to increasing the supply of social rented homes in the Levelling Up white paper, the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will deliver thousands of affordable homes for both rent and to buy, and a large number of the new homes delivered through our Affordable Homes Programme will be for social rent.We have committed to consult on energy efficiency in the social rented sector. The Social Housing (Regulation) Act has made energy efficiency a core objective of the Regulator of Social Housing and over £1 billion of Social Housing Decarbonisation funding has already been allocated to social housing landlords, with £3.8 billion by 2030 committed in our 2019 manifesto.

Voting Rights: British Nationals Abroad

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2023 to Question 191889 on Voting Rights: British Nationals Abroad, what progress his Department has made on bringing forward secondary legislation under the Elections Act 2022 to implement his policies on overseas voting before the General Election.

Jacob Young: Details of legislation will be set out in the usual way.

Property: Sales

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that offers to buy property are binding.

Rachel Maclean: I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 202503 on 24 October 2023.

Land: Compulsory Purchase

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will undertake a review of the compulsory purchase rules for land identified as being suitable for house building.

Rachel Maclean: In October 2022 the Government invited the Law Commission to undertake a review of compulsory purchase aimed primarily at consolidating the law on compulsory purchase and compensation.   We are also bringing forward reforms in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill to streamline and modernise the compulsory purchase process to make it more efficient for all types of compulsory purchase orders including those facilitating residential development.

Waste Management

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Resources and Waste Strategy published in 2018 and the Environmental Improvement Plan, published in 2023, what his planned timescale is for updating (a) the 2014 National Planning Policy for Waste and (b) associated planning guidance.

Rachel Maclean: The National Planning Policy for Waste, which applies in England, outlines the pivotal role planning plays in delivering our waste ambitions. We have committed to update national planning policy to support the implementation of the planning reforms set out in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, once the Bill has achieved Royal Assent.

Landlords: Databases

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many entries have been made on the database of rogue landlords and property agents under the Housing and Planning Act 2016 in (a) England, (b) County Durham and (c) City of Durham constituency since that database was established.

Rachel Maclean: Under the Housing and Planning Act 2016, information from the database can only be disclosed in an anonymised form if no individual or other person to whom the information relates can be identified from the information. Information about the nature of offences, length of ban or value of fines may lead to the identification of individuals entered onto the database.The Database of Rogue Landlords and Property Agents is a record of banning orders that are currently in place and is not a register of all banning orders or banning order offences since 2018.

Caius House: Fire Prevention

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will take steps to provide funding to registered charity Caius House in Battersea for the costs it incurred for a waking watch in a high rise building with fire safety defects that was found not to have been required.

Lee Rowley: I refer the Hon. Member to my answer to Question UIN 203403 on 23 October 2023.

Combined Authorities: Warwickshire

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent (a) discussions and (b) consultations he has held on the proposal to bring Warwickshire into the West Midlands Combined Authority area.

Jacob Young: On 20 July the Leader of Warwickshire County Council advised that they had decided not to pursue at this time their plans to explore joining the WMCA. This is a matter for the Council.

Housing: Sales

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require buyers and sellers to be compensated when the other party withdraws from an agreement to purchase a residential property.

Rachel Maclean: If a buyer or seller pulls out of a transaction once contracts have been exchanged, they are often already legally obliged to pay compensation to the other party. The amount of compensation will depend upon the individual contract, but it is intended to go towards costs accrued in the transaction, such as legal costs and search fees. Home buyers and sellers are also able to voluntarily enter into reservation agreements in advance of exchange, which can provide protection when property transactions fall through.

Building Safety Regulator: Fees and Charges

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make a comparative assessment of the price structure of the proposed Building Safety Regulator charging schedule in comparison to other regulators.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many and what proportion of (a) residential buildings 18 meters or taller and (b) seven-story high buildings with two or more residential units (i) were and (ii) were not registered with the Building Safety Regulator under the Building Safety Act 2022 by 1 October 2023.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many and what proportion of (a) residential buildings 18 meters or taller and (b) seven-story high buildings with two or more residential units (i) were and (ii) were not registered with the Building Safety Regulator under the Building Safety Act 2022 by 1 October 2023.

Lee Rowley: The BSR will publish the register of higher-risk buildings, as set out in Building Safety Act 2022. This forms the first set of comprehensive data available on higher-risk buildings meeting the criteria of at least 18 metres in height, or has at least seven storeys, and contains two or more residential units.The Building Safety Regulator's charges have been calculated in accordance with HM Treasury's guidance in Managing Public Money, and were benchmarked against other regulators' charges. The Charging Scheme and published charges will be reviewed periodically to ensure they continue to be appropriate.

Evictions

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring landlords to provide evidence of (a) selling and (b) moving their family into the property for evictions under the Renters (Reform) Bill.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent steps the Government has taken to support tenants facing eviction under a Section 21 notice.

Rachel Maclean: The Renters (Reform) Bill, which had its Second Reading on 23 October, will abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.Landlords will be able to end a tenancy in specific circumstances set out in the legislation, such as if they want to sell or move into their property, and will need to be prepared to evidence the reason for their possession claim in court if necessary.

Estate Agents: Property Ombudsman

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making membership of the Property Ombudsman scheme mandatory for registered estate agents.

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the accountability of estate agents to (a) landlords and (b) tenants.

Rachel Maclean: I refer the Hon Member to the answers given in response to Question UIN 174410 on 4 April 2023 and Question UIN 190807 on 29 June 2023.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Energy Bills Discount Scheme: Northern Ireland

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, by what date her Department plans to make a decision on applications for the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries discount element of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme for applications in Northern Ireland submitted prior to 16 October 2023.

Graham Stuart: All eligible businesses automatically receive the baseline support under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) from 1 April 2023, for as long as wholesale prices continue to meet or exceed the threshold price. The process for implementing additional support for Energy and Trade Intensive Industries in Northern Ireland is underway and while the Department cannot provide a precise date, it expects the work to be concluded soon. The additional support will be backdated to 1 April 2023.

North Sea Transition Authority: Standards

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made of the North Sea Transition Authority's (a) efficacy as a regulator and (b) ability to support the delivery of the Government's climate targets.

Graham Stuart: The Energy Act 2016 requires the North Sea Transition Authority’s (NSTA) performance to be reviewed at least every three years. The report (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oil-and-gas-authority-review-2022) following the second such review, which also met the requirements of the Cabinet Office’s Arm’s Length Body Review Programme, was published in June 2023. It found that the NSTA is in good health and effective in meeting its statutory requirements. The Authority plays a crucial role in helping to achieve the Government's commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050 while supporting energy resilience and the drive to develop home-grown hydrogen and carbon storage.

UK Emissions Trading Scheme

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the potential (a) merits and (b) costs of linking the UK's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to the EU's ETS.

Graham Stuart: The Government recognises the importance of international co-operation on carbon pricing, and is keen to work with European partners to understand better the interactions between the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and the EU Emissions Trading System as they expand and develop in parallel. In this context, the Government remains open to the possibility of linking the UK ETS internationally.

Community Energy Fund

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the press release entitled Communities at the heart of new fund to boost local growth and energy security, published by her Department on 11 August 2023, when she plans to open the community energy fund for applications.

Graham Stuart: The new £10m Community Energy Fund will enable rural and urban communities across England to access grant funding to develop local renewable energy projects for investment, supporting local growth and enabling places directly to benefit from clean, locally owned energy. The Government is aiming to launch applications to the Community Energy Fund as soon as possible.

North Sea Oil

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the level of potential risk that the development of the Rosebank oil field leads to stranded assets.

Graham Stuart: Stranded assets typically occur where a poor investment decision leads to infrastructure which is not fully used during its anticipated economic lifetime. In the case of new oil fields, this risk is borne by investors who are best placed to make these judgments. The UK has a robust decommissioning regime for offshore oil and gas fields to ensure that any liabilities are the responsibility of developers and that taxpayers are protected.

Offshore Industry: North Sea

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether (a) she and (b) the North Sea Transition Authority made an assessment of the potential impact of attaching conditions to the grant of consent to Equinor for the Rosebank oil and gas development in the North Sea on the delivery of decarbonisation targets in the North Sea Transition Deal.

Graham Stuart: The decision to approve the Rosebank Field Development plan follows extensive scrutiny by regulators, including a full environmental impact assessment and a public consultation. The North Sea Transition Deal is a sector-wide industry agreement involving commitments from numerous companies. Existing accountability arrangements in the Deal - including monitoring compliance with the targets - are appropriate, with the North Sea Transition Authority estimating that the sector is on track to meet 2025 and 2027 targets.

North Sea Oil: Shetland

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will instruct the North Sea Transition Authority to publish the assessment made of the compatibility of the Rosebank oil field with net zero.

Graham Stuart: The decision to approve the Rosebank Development follows extensive scrutiny by regulators, including an environmental impact assessment and public consultation. Rosebank is expected to be significantly less emissions-intensive than the current average of producing assets due to greater operational efficiencies and emissions mitigation measures. It will also be electrification-ready, with Equinor expecting emissions to fall to 3kgCO2 per barrel post-electrification.

Social Rented Housing: Energy

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when her Department plans to bring forward its consultation on minimum energy efficiency standards in the social housing sector.

Graham Stuart: As part of the 2021 Heat and Buildings Strategy, the Government committed to consider setting a new regulatory standard of EPC Band C for the social rented sector. The Government has now made a further commitment to consult on energy efficiency in the social rented sector within 6 months of the Social Housing Regulation Act receiving Royal Assent on 20th July 2023. Officials are working on proposals for the consultation, which will ensure that social housing providers and social housing tenants have an opportunity to give their views before any regulatory standard is set.

Natural Gas: Hydrogen

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what her Department's planned timescale is for making a decision on whether to blend up to 20% hydrogen by volume into gas distribution networks.

Graham Stuart: In September, the Government published a consultation to help to build the necessary evidence base to determine whether hydrogen blending offers strategic and economic value and meets the required safety standards. The Government is aiming to reach a strategic policy decision in 2023 on whether to support blending of up to 20% hydrogen by volume into the Great Britain gas distribution networks.

Committee on Climate Change: Operating Costs

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the operating costs of the Climate Change Committee were in (a) 2021 and (b) 2022.

Graham Stuart: The Climate Change Committee publishes information on its operating costs per financial (rather than calendar) year. According to its Annual Report and Accounts 2020-2022, in the 2020-21 financial year its total operating expenditure was £4,678,810, and in 2021-22 it was £4,539,666.

Electricity and Natural Gas: Standing Charges

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions she has had with Ofgem on the adequacy of regulation for (a) electricity and (b) gas standing charges.

Amanda Solloway: DESNZ Ministers regularly meet with Ofgem to discuss issues relating to the energy retail market. The setting of the standing charge is a commercial matter for suppliers. It reflects the ongoing costs that suppliers incur to provide a live supply of energy to individual properties, regardless of how much energy is consumed. The standing charge includes transmission and distribution costs and the Supplier of Last Resort levy. The allocation of these costs is regulated by Ofgem. The energy price cap also set by Ofgem limits what suppliers can charge for the standing charge to consumers on default tariffs.

Electricity and Natural Gas: Standing Charges

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to remove (a) electricity and (b) gas standing charges for customers on pre-payment meters.

Amanda Solloway: The standing charge is a fixed charge that suppliers pass on to their customers to cover the cost of providing a live supply. It includes the cost of using pipes and power lines carrying the supply, the maintenance and installation of meters and billing and accounting. Ofgem has recently consulted on levelling the cost of standing charges on Prepayment Meters by socialising prices across payment types, to make standing charges more equal across different payment types. Ofgem is currently considering the responses, with an aim to implement changes in April 2024, following the end of the Energy Price Guarantee.

Batteries: Storage

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made of the level of requirement to locate high-capacity battery storage near homes.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of locating battery storage sites away from residential areas.

Andrew Bowie: The Government has put in place a robust regulatory framework for grid-scale battery storage that protects people and the environment, which is kept under review to respond to changing circumstances. Recent reviews have considered both the planning system and environmental permitting regulations. The Government has recently updated Planning Practice Guidance, which encourages battery storage developers to engage with local fire and rescue and local planning authorities to refer to the guidance published by the National Fire Chiefs Council. The Government intends to consult on including battery storage systems in the environmental permitting regulations at the earliest opportunity.

Energy: Disability

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will take steps to extend the ban on forced installations of pre-payment meters to include all households which include a disabled person.

Amanda Solloway: Ofgem has set out new rules around prepayment meters (PPMs) to ensure suppliers are acting in a fair and responsible way, with involuntary installations used only as a last resort. Under the new rules, suppliers must carry out a site welfare visit before installation and refrain from all involuntary installations: for the highest risk customers including households with residents with severe health issues,and where there is no one within the household that has the ability to top up the meter due to physical or mental incapacity. The Government has welcomed the steps Ofgem has taken on this issue.

Northern Ireland Office

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Crimes of Violence

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number of assaults on Police Service of Northern Ireland officers.

Mr Steve Baker: The Government owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the brave men and women of the Police Service of Northern Ireland for their tireless work keeping the people of Northern Ireland safe, often in exceptionally challenging circumstances. We condemn any assault or act of violence committed against serving Police Officers. Policing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. Policy and legislation relating to day-to-day policing in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Department of Justice.

Northern Ireland Office: Women

Richard Thomson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of officials in his Department that are (a) graded as senior civil servant 2 and (b) on full-time equivalent contracts are women.

Mr Steve Baker: (a) 1.8% of the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) workforce are graded as Directors (senior civil servants at pay band 2). (b) 52% of the NIO workforce are female and on full-time equivalent contracts.

Church Commissioners

Church of England: Finance

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Commissioners are taking to ensure the Lowest Income Communities Funding meets the objective of assisting clergy and parishes in hardest to reach communities.

Andrew Selous: The Independent Review of Lowest Income Communities Funding and Strategic Development Funding led by Sir Robert Chote was published in March 2022 and can be read here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2022-03/irls-final-report-2.pdf In respect of meeting the objective of assisting clergy and parishes in hardest to reach communities the Review recommended:Recommendation 2 - "Refocusing annual returns … towards more strategic reporting".Recommendation 3 - asked staff to "identify and promote best practice … perhaps convening a learning symposium".Recommendation 5 – asked staff to "communicate more clearly the extent to which LInC funding is sustaining ministry".The action taken so far by the Archbishops' Council's Vision and Strategy team in response to those recommendations has been to:Raise the profile of LInC funding within ongoing strategic conversations between its staff and diocesan teams, as part of dioceses' strategic development processes, with the aim of improving its effectiveness.Ask dioceses to give information about the intended outcomes from their planned use of LInC funding, together with how they will be measured, as part of their annual return on LInC funding for 2022.Plan a learning event to bring together diocesan representatives to share and develop their approaches on the use of LInC funding, aiming to improve the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of LInC funding.From the start of 2023, the new Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB), a committee of the Archbishops' Council, has replaced the previous Strategic Investment Board and Strategic Ministry Board. It distributes and monitors funds made available by the Church Commissioners and Archbishops' Council via LInC, SDF, and other similar funds.More information about the role the SMMIB plays can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/press-releases/new-board-oversee-unprecedented-church-england-investment-mission-and

Church of England: Gaza and Israel

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what support the Church of England has provided to (a) churches and (b) other people in (i) Israel and (ii) Gaza since 7 October 2023.

Andrew Selous: Following the events of 7th October, the Archbishops of York and Canterbury called on Christians, and people of all faiths and none, to pray for the victims of the terrorist attacks by Hamas and for the innocent affected by the conflict.The Archbishop of Canterbury visited Jerusalem, from 19th – 22nd October 2023, to stand in prayerful solidarity with the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem following damage to the Al-Ahli Hospital and to show pastoral care and support to all those affected by the war. During the visit, the Archbishop met with those who had lost loved ones as a result of the 7 October attacks. Several dioceses are supporting humanitarian appeals to support the ongoing work of the Al–Ahli Hospital.The Archbishop of Canterbury’s most recent comments on the issue of Israel and Gaza can be found here: https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/news/news-and-statements

Wales Office

Public Sector: Welsh Language

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the adherence to Welsh language legislation of public services in Wales for which the UK Government is responsible.

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision through the medium of Welsh of public services in Wales for which the UK Government is responsible.

David T C Davies: The Welsh language is a devolved subject and the responsibility of Senedd Cymru / the Welsh Parliament and the Welsh Government. Most public bodies in Wales are subject to Welsh language standards, made under the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, in delivering public services. The Welsh Language Commissioner is responsible for ensuring that bodies fulfil their obligations in relation to specified standards. Ministers of the Crown are not subject to Welsh language standards. In practice, this means most UK Government departments operate Welsh language schemes under the Welsh Language Act 1993. Schemes set out, so far as practicable, how departments treat Welsh and English on the basis of equality in respect of services they provide for Wales. The Welsh Language Commissioner approves schemes before they are implemented and departments report regularly to the Commissioner on performance against their respective schemes. As lead department in UK Government for the Welsh language, the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales works with other government departments to improve Welsh language provision, most notably through the official-level, cross-government Welsh Language Forum.

Public Sector: Welsh Language

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Language Commissioner on the adequacy of the provision through the medium of Welsh of public services in Wales for which the UK Government is responsible.

David T C Davies: As a fluent Welsh speaker and champion for the Welsh language, I take every opportunity to promote the language and communicate bilingually in my role. My officials and I regularly meet with the Welsh Language Commissioner and her office to discuss matters relating to the Welsh language, including the provision of public services through the medium of Welsh by UK Government. Most recently in August, I met the Commissioner in Aberystwyth as part of my Welsh Language Roundtable to discuss the Census 2021 results and the causes of the decline in the number of Welsh speakers in parts of Wales.